Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot
by Mikarin
Summary: It seems no one its safe this Christmas. Not even Tatsumi. There is a force at work and it's not hiding. Booby traps, hidden surprises, random kamikaze attacks and... Julia Child? TxH mainly. But, no one is really safe. Especially Hisoka.
1. part 1

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

  


Summary: It seems no one its safe this Christmas. Not even Tatsumi. There is a force at work and it's not hiding. Booby traps, hidden surprises, random kamikaze attacks and... Julia Child?. TxH mainly. But, no one is really safe.

Standard disclaimer applies.

A/N: I had a computer but no internet connection for sustenance. I stayed at my parents for a whole week (8 whole days). Thank God for my large supply of Anime. Oh, and thanks to my supplier(s). ^_^. The phone was inaccessible. Every time I connected I had to disengage immediately, because someone just had to use the line. So, I'll be uploading this story as I edit my mistakes. Sorry it's late, but it gives me time for re-writes and updates. Sometimes I write so fast, I can't see my hands. I'm just flight by the seat of my pants.   
This was originally a short fic just to test the waters since this will be my first of this type. I'm a reader. But now I want more. (It seems I can't live without my daily dose of fanfics.) 

  


Hisoka's nerves were at an end. He flopped himself on nearby sofa, finally alone and very tired. He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed himself to lie down. Breathing short and shallow, he felt his heart had been running for miles, the way it felt in his chest against the sofa. His ribs hurt his head felt heavy.

Even Tatsumi had not been spared this time. Not this year. It was Christmas again, the most frightening time of the year, by one decimal point higher than Valentine's, and steadily climbing with each passing hour.

He managed to rise again and slouch against the sofa, breathing a little more normal. He would stay here and find something to read.

Only the Gushoshin resided here and they wouldn't allow anyone to defile their sanctuary. They were guarding the door when he teleported in. They said attempts had been made but measures had been already procured. No explanations were given and he didn't ask. They smiled secretly, or so he felt but allowed him safe passage. After all, they understood.

"Hiding Kurosaki-kun?" It was not really a question.

He's back stiffened and turned around slowly.

"Tatsumi-san?"

The secretary was seated a short distance from him hiding behind a pile of books. More like a barricade, and then Hisoka heard a grunt from behind.

"And Terazuma." The secretary added eyeing to his side. Hisoka couldn't see him. 

"We're trapped like dogs in a kennel." Terazuma said bitterly with a hint of sarcasm.

"Terazuma has been here since before lunch." Tatsumi then said. "You're welcome to join us. I brought plenty of work to keep us busy."

Hisoka sweat dropped. But quickly shrug it off and walked over to the table to entertain himself for a while. He had already finished all of his work since morning. And he had no desire to go back to the madness outside. 

That morning a very over-enthusiastic Tsuzuki gave him fair warning of the dangers that lay ahead as he accidentally and without thinking looked at the little green branch that hanged over the doors of the building. As soon as Hisoka realized what it was, stealthily, took one step back, froze for a moment and turned around leaving the rest of the stairs behind him, teleporting into their offices. Leaving a very confused Tsuzuki, scratching his head, wondering where his younger partner disappeared, after he turned around—looking and hopping—to cease the chance to plant a wet one on him. What perfect opportunity!

Just whose idiotic idea was it to hang that at the entrance? Why Wakaba and Watari in their ever lasting mission to spread the Christmas spirit. That was before he realized who else was in the conspiracy.

Hisoka had not been safe for long for as soon as he made an effort to go through the door that belong to the office he shared with Tsuzuki, he was targeted.

His eyes bugged out and almost lost his balance as two very enthusiastic girls stood by and saw him come through. He slapped the door firmly before they dived, threw the lock on for good measure, and planted himself against it to prevent them from breaking in. Tsuzuki had been surprised and a very angry Hisoka threw him a death glare before he decided that he could wait.

About mid-morning, his older partner was on a fit for sweets and Hisoka was not letting him leave the office, at least not through the door. The Hokkaido girls were out there. Of course they were here, the annual Christmas party wouldn't be the same without them trying to slip him into a dress as a Christmas present for them.

Fifteen minutes of whining, screaming and flying books later, Hisoka lost and let him out. _He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately,_ he thought. 

As soon as Tsuzuki stepped through the door he was attacked like a poor defenseless animal by wild beasts. Hisoka threw all of his weight onto the door and locked himself in, once again, leaving a poor Tsuzuki out to hang. Thirty minutes more he hear some noises from the other side of the door. Scratching at the bottom. 

Tsuzuki. His emotions so loud he began to give him a headache. He opened the door and Tsuzuki fell in, arms full of treats. 

The girls had brought him his favorites. As he was about to step outside himself, he felt himself stiffen with the feeling of a predator lurking near by, from behind. His eyes went wide once again as he slowly looked back to see the puppy had this feral grin on his face. Hisoka hesitated to move wondering what he had done to provoke such a change; Tsuzuki was no longer paying attention to his treats, his arms loosening his stronghold on them.

"What?" He asked very carefully and eyeing him suspiciously. His eyebrows coming together, trying to decipher that strange grin that simply got wider and silly, but nonetheless.... Hungry?

Hisoka wondered what appetite had to do with him? Was Tsuzuki going delirious from hunger that he was beginning to see him as nothing more than an éclair glaring back at him still holding the door open? If it had been anyone else, he would've thought Muraki was nearby lurking and watching him. But this is Tsuzuki, food first and foremost in his mind.

Hisoka turned, yes, still keeping an eye on his freaky partner, he felt he should probably watch his back, just in case. 

In case of what? In case Tsuzuki in his delirium decided to take a bite and with Tsuzuki's eating habits, he feared he might actually get swallowed whole. A habit that was beginning to annoy him ever since that few weeks back when Tsuzuki liked his cheek thinking he was ice cream, explanation being, 'you're so cold and sweet 'Soka-chan'. He grated his teeth and slapped him over the head. After being thoroughly licked, he felt Tsuzuki's thought patterns still lingering on vanilla ice cream with a new addition, apple pie. _Mmm, vanilla ice cream, apple pie, and Hisoka._ Hisoka could only blush but Tsuzuki was still thinking about food. Tsuzuki's feelings about food were so strong it was like flash cards for Hisoka. 

The moment he crossed the threshold, however, Hisoka saw it, from his side view making a mad dash for him. Distracted in only for a fraction of a second, Tsuzuki dived after him screaming enthusiastically. "Hi- so –ka."

"Kyaaaa!"

  


TBC...

  


[Contructive Critisism welcome.]


	2. part 2

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

  


continuation... from part 1

Standard disclaimer applies.

  
  


"Kyaaaa!"

  


He screamed. He actually screamed and he sounded like a girl. _How embarrassing!_ Face red, lungs trying to capture air and Tsuzuki on the floor, face flattened. Having just barely missed him Hisoka clung to the nearest thing that he had come in contact when he jumped out of the way.

At that moment, a pair of arms embraced him and...

Hisoka couldn't believe it, he screamed again. Again, his voice broke and he sounded even girlier that before. Feet off the floor, Watari had been the thing Hisoka had crashed against. And little wonder he thought it was a wall with that white coat on him. Watari had hugged him and kissed him on the forehead.

_What for? _He couldn't figure it out, until he stopped shaking and trying like hell to get away, complements of Tatsumi. 

Tatsumi, who had heard his scream the first time and by the second time he had swung his door opened and rushed out in a controlled panic, not wanting to look like he had been thrown off his chair and accidentally run off the page he had been working on, inking across it a diagonal pattern and etching it on his desk.

Said pen still on hand, he slightly discomfited, was standing across from all of them.

"What's the problem?" His voice sounded neutral but firm and loud enough for all parties concerned to pay attention.

"Watari? What are you doing with Kurosaki? And Tsuzuki, what are you doing kissing the floor?"

The very disheveled shinigami on the floor, looked up to Tatsumi with a slightly unfocused and funny stare, tail wagging about in different directions.

To Hisoka he had been an incoming wolf the way he launch for him, when did he turn puppy?

"Watari put Kurosaki on the floor."

Hisoka, in very shaky legs, stood his ground once he came in contact with it. 

"I expect all of you to be working, not lounging around. Tsuzuki find a better place if you need to nap. Although with the amount of work you have yet to turn in, you might as well set up camp in your office and not go home at all."

"Haaaaa, Tat- suumiii." He began to wail.

Now with his hands on his hips, he turned to Watari. 

"Watari return to your lab, what are you doing here distracting Tsuzuki? He has a lot of work to do. And stop hanging those things all over the office. I expect it from Wakaba, Yuma and Saya, but not you."

As Tatsumi pointed up towards the door, Hisoka had the sinking feeling why he had been so suddenly attacked. And as he began to survey the entire office surroundings he noticed the tiny branches hanging above each threshold, arch and passage way. He gulped a knot that had formed in his throat. They were everywhere.

Tatsumi hadn't missed the look of terror and disbelieve in Hisoka and understanding sank in as he began to connect the dots. And felt movement not far behind.

"Stop where you stand." He turned around. Hisoka tried to look around him.

Saya and Yuma were slithering against the wall very quietly, holding a few of those little branches that innocently enough were giving Hisoka a run for his money.

And apparently gunning for Tatsumi as well.

Tatsumi approached them, having his shadows back away from the girls, and giving them a stern look that had them crouched and froze over, still glued to the wall.

"If you have nothing else to do here, I'll give you some work, but you will not, I repeat, will not come anywhere near my office while I'm still here. Is that clear?"

The girls nodded and the shadows completely disappeared. 

"Now—" 

"Aaah." Both girls screamed finding a new target for the moment. 

"Hisoka is here." Pointed Saya at Suma, completely ignoring Tatsumi who still loomed over them. 

"And he's so cute." Suma clutched her branches to her chest, making eyes at him. 

"He even screams like a girl." Saya pointed out, to Hisoka's distress.

Hisoka was still cornered, flustered and red. Tsuzuki guarded the entrance to their office and Watari to his left. Branches everywhere. He tensed and squirmed where he stood, not even a window had been sacred. They had anticipated that desperate enough, he would opt to jump rather than be glomped by anyone to the ground. By now, they knew him too well.

Mustering all that was left of his sanity and self-control not to run screaming,... all that screaming again, rung in his head, he couldn't stop self-consciously playing it in his head. Wondering how to stop himself next time. There was no where to hide but one place. 

He looked at Tatsumi and very seriously asked. "Tatsumi-san. May I please finish my work at your office." He did his best not to sound desperate and frightened. Like some other idiot that started whimpering at him the moment the words were out of his mouth. 

Hisoka chose not to look, it would weaken his reserve. He felt it. It was happening more and more lately. The hurt and the pleading coming from Tsuzuki in shovels. He no doubt was doing his best award-winning 'wounded-puppy' look. Sending his waves back and forth between Hisoka and Tatsumi. See which one fell first. Hisoka closed his eyes and refused to look at him, strengthening his mental shields.

Tatsumi, preferred to pull his signature 'hand pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose', to block sight of Tsuzuki.

"You may." He turned around then felt the trepidation, as Hisoka still didn't know how to move. He turned around and walked over to him and reached toward the top of the door's threshold and removed the little, inconspicuous branch and sent it flying into the nearest trashcan.

"Wai- Tatsumi." Complained Watari who had been helping the girls with spreading the Christmas spirit around.

"Get your work." He directed Hisoka, avoiding Tsuzuki, like Hisoka was doing. It seemed to work. But he too could feel Tsuzuki and felt himself beginning to crumble. No, if he did then they wouldn't get any work done. No, they were in the red, again, no thanks to Tsuzuki. Remove the obvious and Tsuzuki is bound to follow.

Hisoka stepped with his workload into Tatsumi's office and dragged a chair across from Tatsumi, sat with his back to the door. Tatsumi purposely left his door opened. Inch by inch, Tsuzuki peered in to check on his partner who had began to diligently ignore him. Tatsumi smirked inwardly. Tsuzuki couldn't handle being separated from his younger partner any more than his sweets. They were his addiction and he craved them both with equal relish. 

But where Kurosaki-kun to ever give into Tsuzuki's sweet tooth… Tatsumi was sure apple pie would be the last thing in his mind, for now it simply occupied the purple-eyes shinigami's mouth. 

"Tsuzuki, if you drag your work to the desk outside my office, I'll let you keep us company." He said, and added with malicious intent. "If otherwise, you make a peep or begin slacking off distracting your partner and _me,_" he emphasized. "I'll close the door and lock you out."

Meep!

Tsuzuki diligently left and came back minutes later and arranged the nearest desk to Tatsumi's office and moved it to have a better view of his partner and Tatsumi. He will work. As much as it pained him to do it. Having a good view of Hisoka was worth it, even if Tatsumi was keeping a very close watch on him.

He shivered from had to toe as he sat down, knowing he was not allowed to make noise. Tatsumi will close the door and lock his precious partner with him, keeping Hisoka all to himself.

No. No. Tatsumi was evil. Five minutes after he began to work, he had also begun to forget the stern and clear warning. He was about to direct a question to Hisoka about where would he like to go for lunch when he met with Tatsumi's ice blue stare. Cutting him down before he began.

Hisoka was laughing inwardly. He could feel Tsuzuki squirming in his chair. Not knowing how to even start working but making an effort nonetheless, disgusted with himself at the torture of the situation. Sending daggers across to Tatsumi and pity emissions toward him.

Hisoka managed to finish within one hour. He was amazed at the amount of writing he managed to accomplished just by sitting with Tatsumi, quietly doing his work and Tsuzuki sitting outside with his mouth shut, but screaming inside, 'I hate you Tatsumi', 'Help me Hisoka'.

  
  


TBC... part 3 next

  
  


A/N: Awww... poor Tsuzuki...

  



	3. part 3

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

  


continuation... from part 2

Standard disclaimer applies.

  
  


(Previously...)

Hisoka managed to finish within one hour. He was amazed at the amount of writing he managed to accomplished just by sitting with Tatsumi, quietly doing his work and Tsuzuki sitting outside with his mouth shut, but screaming inside, 'I hate you Tatsumi', 'Help me Hisoka'.

  
  


(Let's continue...)

  
  


Tatsumi was having the time of his life. Watching Hisoka work so swiftly and so into his work was a pleasure. The boy's writing was ligible and clean, unlike that of his partner's. Tsuzuki was actually working if much slower than his partner. Hisoka finally stopped scribing and put his pen down. Closing the last file he had in front of him and placing it neatly back on his pile.

Tatsumi was happy. But he let the boy sit quietly for a bit longer. See how much work he could get out of the man-child seating outside, sending glances toward his partner every few minutes to see if Hisoka would pay attention to him.

Until a loud rumble disrupted his line of thought across the ledgers, Tatsumi had not considered it was time for lunch. He had tortured Tsuzuki enough using his greatest weakness. He will have to explore more on this subject later. For now, it was enough to know that holding Hisoka away from his partner could be beneficial, to certain extent.

Tatsumi left his desk and walked toward Tsuzuki looking over his shoulder. Tsuzuki shrunk in him seat like a preschooler. Hot nearly a quarter of what his young partner had accomplished but at least it was the most he would be able to get out of Tsuzuki.

Without overloading Kurosaki, he really couldn't hold him. After all, the boy did more than his share on a daily basis. It would be unfair to give him more, after he also did some of his lazy older partner's workload out of mercy no doubt. As much as he had done on his day as Tsuzuki's partner once upon a time.

"Kurosaki-kun it's lunch time." He gave him a warm smile, after awaking the boy out of his trance.

At the sound of lunch bells that rang in Tsuzuki's head, he sprang off his chair. Doing a happy dance "Yay Tatsumi."

Hisoka had been thinking about heading to the library to pick up a book, but was unsure as to how to go about the task without getting groped by the perverts roaming the building that had booby trapped the entire building with mistletoe branches. He could teleport, but what were the chances of him not getting caught there too. Especially since Tsuzuki would know if he was hiding there. The little happy yelp and the calling of his name brought him out of his dilemma.

He will go to lunch, Tatsumi waited for him by the door as he looked up. There was safety in numbers, especially if Tatsumi was around.

Tsuzuki skipped happily toward the lunchroom, behind them Watari came running, aiming not at Hisoka, but at Tatsumi. Tatsumi sensing his noisy approach, simple side stepped and Watari ran into Tsuzuki, taking him down.

Hisoka wasn't sure whether to laugh or be terrified that even Tatsumi was not safe around these maniacs. They stayed close to the wall. Tatsumi closed his eyes and shook his head letting a sigh escape him.

"Idiots." They said in unison, under their breath.

"Worse than children." Tatsumi then turned to Hisoka. "Perhaps it would be safer if we simply stepped out of the office for a while." Hisoka nodded in agreement staring at Watari and Tsuzuki trying to untangle from each other.

Lunch was quiet, peaceful and uneventful for the exception of Tsuzuki who could never do anything quietly, least of all eat. Watari turn down coming along. He said he had an experiment going that needed supervision, to which Tatsumi screamed to get back into the lab before it blows, again, 'or suffer more budget cuts'.

After being dragged to a nearby bakery for, as Tsuzuki put it, the most important part of the meal, the whole point of having a meat, in fact, they returned together back to the office. The weather was cold but tolerable, sunny and bright. No chances of rain or snow, not just yet, so people were busily shopping around for last-minute presents.

"Tatsumi, a present." Tsuzuki returned with a small bag and box hopping with joy and smiling happily. From the bag, a cupcake came out.

"Ah,… Thanks Tsuzuki. I gather we're ready to return to the office."

"Do we have to?" Tsuzuki's ears flopped. "It' such a nice day, and we're out here already. Can we just take a walk?" 

Hisoka interfered. 

"No! It's cold."

"Naa, Hisoka, you're just too skinny, not enough meat in your bones to keep you warm. You hardly eat." Tsuzuki whined as he danced around them. 

"Ha! That's OK. You eat for the both of us." Hisoka snorted offhandedly giving his older partner a rather cold frown. 

Tatsumi noticed their behavior. That cold stare held nothing but warmth. It was funny how they bicker, like two old ladies, yet really good friends. But it was true, the boy lacked fat, but that was not his fault. Though, he had played with most of his food and ate only a third, while at the end Tsuzuki had wolfed it 'to keep it from going to waste', he quoted for his benefit. And yes, food was a waste of money if nobody ate it.

"But for my 'Soka-chan, I would even forfeit my dessert."

Tsuzuki confessed expanding his arms with box on hand in a rather exaggerated gesture on bended knee and bowed head.

"You would." Hisoka turned his head, closing his eyes and growing a pink blush sensing how passers biers were beginning to stare. He opened one eye to look down at him getting annoyed, arms crossed and growling at Tsuzuki. "You know perfectly well I don't like sweets so there's no risk."

"Aha! My 'Soka-chan's so sweet he doesn't need any. But,…" He dug into the bag he carried and pulled a second cupcake and presented it to Hisoka. "Here. Just the same. This one's not as sweet. I asked for one without frosting, just for my 'Soka-chan."

"Stop calling me that." The color on his cheeks got darker, but he took the gift nevertheless. Mumbling something under his breath.

"What's that?" Asked Tsuzuki on his feet once again and next to him really close to his ear expecting to hear it again.

"Baka, why do you have to go and do a stupid thing like that." He had mumbled, and he added. "Now I have no choice… but to eat it…. Later."

Tatsumi couldn't help but break into a smile that he hid as he adjusted his glasses with a hand over his face. It was just too funny how Tsuzuki could make them do things, even his standoffish partner. It was obvious, he was wearing him down. Hisoka really didn't have to eat it. But the way Tsuzuki went about things, it was hard to say no. He looked at his own cupcake. His had white frosting with red and green sprinkles. 

Hisoka nibbled at it bit by bit as they walked back to the office. Tatsumi ate it too. Tsuzuki was giddy and ogling his young partner every time he took a smile bite. Hisoka eventually noticed and blood rushed up to his cheeks. To cure himself from being a spectacle to be watched, he forced the cupcake back into his childish older partner and asked him to finish it for him. 

For which, as Tatsumi noted, Tsuzuki was happy to obliged molding his lips to where Kurosaki's lips had been and devouring those bits first. He could only imagine what Tsuzuki was daydreaming about every time he did that. Tatsumi concluded, Tsuzuki has finally lost it and desperation fever has driven him there. 

As they arrived a surprise awaited Tatsumi in his office. 

  
  


TBC... part 4 next

  
  


A/N: Tsuzuki it's just too sweeeet.... I love cupcakes. Mmm, mango, blueberry, strawberry, banana-nut, all good. My sister baked dozens to give the family for Christmas. I'm just too lucky, she can bake all sorts of goodies. 

  



	4. part 4

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

  


continuation... from part 3

Standard disclaimer applies.

I want to make one more upload before the end of the year. I have so much to do. We're celebrating New Year's with Sushi and KungFu movies, lots of sake. And I think we're stating the party early. We'll be doing the countdown to midnight with champagne and grapes. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

  
  


(Previously...)

As they arrived a surprise awaited Tatsumi in his office. 

  
  


(Let's continue...)

  
  


"Watari."

One word summed it up. His office. Tatsumi left them there. Hisoka dumb folded, while Tsuzuki grinned from ear to ear.

Tatsumi's office had red ribbons hanging from the ceiling with lights around his desk blinking in sequence and around his small window. A scented candle lighted by said window with glitter sparkling on the floor and a small branch of mistletoe hanging from the entrance door to his sanctum and a few other strategic places inside. They had defiled it after they were warned. 

"How cute. Now Tatsumi will be in the festive mood too." As he turned to Hisoka, the boy sighed loudly before turning around and heading toward their own office, forgetting about the booby traps that hanged above. 

As he looked above, too late. With handle on hand and one foot inside their office, Hisoka got tacked to the floor by Tsuzuki squealing with happiness and excitement attempting to kiss him thoroughly, yet completely missing him as he struggled to get up from under him and lips landing close to his ear. 

"Tsu-" Panic stricken for his foolishness. 

He should've checked before entering. After all Tatsumi had removed the treat, but after looking at what happened to his office, he should've expected the offending branch to be replaced by another. 

"Tsu-" He spouted. "Get off!" Stomach laid on the floor and trapped by a big idiot, his arms were pinned under him, unable to do much with the extra weight above. All he could do was shake his head furiously, trying to hide his face. 

Partially successful.

Now he was on the floor, trapped and Tsuzuki had nearly licked his ear. His checks were red and his heart, fortunately, was beating fast against a carpet, instead of another's flesh.

"You're heavy. I said 'Get off' " 

Tsuzuki was unfazed. "No. You were under the mistletoe."

"I'll kick your ass." He hissed.

"I don't wanna."

Tsuzuki managed to drag his lithe body a bit further inside and push the door closed behind them.

He growled in frustration and embarrassment, kicking his legs on the floor since that's all he could move from under the weight that straddle him. 

"Ne, are you ready to give up?" He whispered in his ear, since that's all he had access. 

Hisoka had opted for tucking his face under him trying to hide as much of his blush that was threatening to turn him into a bright tomato. Was he being playful? There was that bit of hunger, something he often recognized in Tsuzuki when he looked or merely smelled food. Laced with something else that the man was obviously hiding. A rise in body heat that had began to affect him as well. 

"Never." He spitted out. 

Tsuzuki shrugged and buried his nose between that little spot between his neck and collar. Hisoka shivered, but not from Tsuzuki's cool nose against his bare and warm skin so much as the feeling that deep down it was thrilling, but refused to admit to himself just yet. 

His legs were the only part of his entire body able to move, with Tsuzuki's legs on each side of his. His body was effectively warmed by the one on top. Hisoka was beginning to feel a bit tired and drowsy. Fighting a loosing battle with someone as stubborn as Tsuzuki taking its toll. 

Maybe it would work if he simply took a nap under such warm cover. The strategy might work if he could make Tsuzuki think he has crushed him unconscious and rush him to the infirmary. That's right, play dead and maybe the big teddy bear will lose interest in him. That however would be difficult to do since his body seemed to be having a different idea altogether, reacting to the contact in a different fashion. His skin positively tingled and he couldn't control the light shivering up and down his spine as the man breathed down his neck making contact with his skin. 

  
  


TBC... part 5 next

  
  


A/N: I know it's short but I don't have a lot of time and my spelling mistakes are just too many. Who knew these fingers could do so much damage when not looking at the keyboard. But I got all my thoughts across. Now I'm just cleaning it all up so it's readable. And adding bits here and there where I make even less sense than before.   
  
Watari's going to get it, or will it be the other way around?   
  
Is Tsuzuki going to get it or... Well, you can see it coming… don't you? 

  
  



	5. part 5

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

  


continuation... from part 4

Sorry it took so long, I was doing so well. But life got on my way.

  
  


(Previously...)

Maybe it would work if he simply took a nap under such warm cover. The strategy might work if he could make Tsuzuki think he has crushed him unconscious and rush him to the infirmary. That's right, play dead and maybe the big teddy bear will lose interest in him. That however would be difficult to do since his body seemed to be having a different idea altogether, reacting to the contact in a different fashion. His skin positively tingled and he couldn't control the light shivering up and down his spine as the man breathed down his neck making contact with his skin. 

  
  


(Let's continue...)

  


Or at least it was a good idea up until the attack. Tsuzuki gnawed at his neck making doggie noises, as if trying to bite him. That sent an enticing shiver down his spine that made him involuntarily squeal. It was out before he could restrain it. He shut his eyes trying to concentrate in not breaking into laughter. He was trying his best kicking his heels to the ground. Now fingers were joining at the fun, tickling Hisoka at the ribs. He pressed his lips together tighter trying to contain himself from exploding, his eyes tearing up. 

"Grrrr…. Aaaah!" He couldn't hold the screaming in. 

It finally broke out of him. Like a little kid, he giggled, trying to roll out from under his attacker. 

"Tsu- argh!… N-no… hehehe!… S-s-stop… hahaha!…"

Tsuzuki rolled him over to face him after a while. Already weak and dizzied from torture. Tsuzuki had joined in the fun laughing and occasionally squeaks would escape him watching his younger partner laughing uncontrollably and fighting a loosing battle trying to regain his composure to simply loose it a second later with a snorting noise, growling at himself for being so vocal and loosing his mind next giggling and laughing. 

"N-no- more…. Hehehe! I- I give…"

Hisoka threw his head back, convulsing and writhing under Tsuzuki who never stopped tormenting him mercilessly. Up until Hisoka was having trouble breathing and catching his breathes between trying to get a word out of surrender and forced laughs. Hisoka was exhausted. His face had already gone through all the colors of the rainbow, except for one, the last. [1]

Tsuzuki landed over him, finally cutting him a break before he could pass out, literally, listening to his heart running to catch up. So fast, and not fast enough.

"I win." He sang like a child his victory, hearing his heaving partner fighting to breathe normally, lips parted, eyes closed, head thrown on to his side. 

Tsuzuki moved his head and planted his chin over Hisoka's chest to watch him intently. 

Hisoka was still fighting… at catching his next breath. Having a grown man's weight over him cutting his chances to inhale in less than half was not helping. 

Meantime Tsuzuki was quite happy …and little guilty too.

_Beautiful. _

The thought escaped him before he realized. Hisoka's red cheeks deepened in color who simply didn't have the energy left to do anything else but lie there, completely spent. 

An idea began to form in Tsuzuki's head. This is Christmas and he had been fighting for his mistletoe kiss. And since his partner had finally surrendered, he would take his prize. And without further ado, Tsuzuki moved and hovered over his partner's parted lips and met them with his own. This brought Hisoka's eyes to snap open. Little strength was left in him, he could barely move his hands to push him off if he could think that far. 

Slowly, Tsuzuki kissed Hisoka. Having a breathless, chest heaving, and shivering young partner under him was a dream come true. The kiss itself was soft, sweet, deliriously sensuous and slow moving. "Hmm." Hisoka let a muffled moan escape his throat, incoherently. Tsuzuki felt encouraged. He thought that if Hisoka could find his brain he would complain and try to pry him off. As it happens, Tsuzuki had done a really good job of scrambling him enough to simply feel and let the forever 16-year-old's hormones do the rest. 

Yes. He'd done it intentionally. He'd tickled him until there was no more oxygen left traveling to his brain. _It worked, Watari. _

Watari somewhere in his lab winked, flashing a brilliant smile and posing a victory 'V' with his loyal owl 003 perched on his head. Then the door swung open in the background and a disgruntled, fire-breathing dark figure entered, wrapped in shadows and glowing red oni eyes. _Tatsumi was pissed…_ felt Watari as he rotated his head slowly and snickered nervously as the shadows were looking very evilly at him._ Oh wait,… Tatsumi, by the door,… _Watari changed his nervous grin to a smirk at the realization… _Mistletoe!…_

Tsuzuki could see that dreamy, unfocused look in his partner's eyes before he slowly began to close them again and knew he had more time. Hisoka didn't know what hit him. Yet.

Tsuzuki will probably pay for it later. And Hisoka will make him regret it. The boy could be evil, when he wanted. He was not afraid to use any underhanded methods necessary. He could one amp Tatsumi given enough motivation. And this definitely guaranteed it.

So if Tsuzuki was going to get punished for this… might as well make it worth it all the way. He delved his tongue inside the secret hideout of one very sweet Kurosaki Hisoka, by the taste of it. _No wonder he doesn't like sweets, he's sweet enough as it is..._

_Tsuzuki tests the waters of their relationship and Hisoka slaps him for it. That was the day to day activities. But as of late—Hisoka's suffering delayed reaction times._ Tsuzuki commented to Watari a few days ago. 

_Maybe he was getting him used to it, too tired to fight back, or braking him down._ Watari responded.

Whichever the case, he wasn't gaining enough ground._ Too slow._ Both men agreed.

Tsuzuki had cried out of frustration one time during a mission with Watari and Hisoka. Tatsumi had made the crazy scientist come along. That cheap bastard had done it again and to save a few yen found them an abandoned home to stay the night. At least it had water, but no electricity. All would've been fine, a candle lit dinner for two and the moon, sleeping next to each other in the same room for warmth. But Watari had come along and Hisoka arranged it so Watari was in the middle. While Hisoka had gone out for dinner and supplies Tsuzuki flopped himself in the middle of the backyard and howled at the moon. Watari came out and convinced him there's more than one way to skin a cat or woe a cat in this case.

The latest of Watari's plans was a work in progress… If all else fails, get him dunk with eggnog tonight, courtesy of the Hokkaido girls. He would seek them onto him. By now, everyone knew and wanted to help at seeing how slow things were progressing so they made it their Christmas gift for Tsuzuki to help him get the best present in Meifu.

Everyone except for Tatsumi and Terazuma. They chose to see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing, much less do. Terazuma wouldn't dare lift a finger to help make him happy and Tatsumi didn't see the profit in wasting his time.

Tsuzuki suddenly felt a very relaxed, limped body under him, a small, quiet snore was being produced from within that compact chest, not yet making its way out. A rhythm was forming as he loosened his hold on those now raw kissed, red lips. 

He passed out. Between the tickling and short spurts of air through his lungs he was exhausted and the following attack blocking his wind pipe had done him in.

Tsuzuki sweatdropped when he noticed. After studying his partner's features with great interest he lifted himself, boy under his arms, and leveled him on the couch. He sat on the floor watching him for a few more minutes. He was really out like a light. 

He even tried poking his cheeks. No reaction. He really felt like crying.

Guilt trip in progress… but grin on his face. _Mmm,_ he couldn't quite build it up into a crescendo. He shook it off 'puppy style'. 

Depress and frustrated was all he got.

_Oh well,…_ He tried his best. He had been trying for months already…. _Well not months, more like forever…no…ever since…but Hisoka just wasn't ready, too soon, and neither was he so… Argh! Even with help he was moving slower than a slug…_

He pondered for a bit on the mating habits of slugs why with being so slow and being so small and easily killed under one's foot… _just how do they go about it? Augh, how awful. There are plenty of them so they must have a way… or do they just multiply asexually?_ That he never imagined. And he'd dealt with plenty of them in his garden.

Maybe sweets were in order now that his partner was not watching. He checked one more time on him. _Yup, out._ He gave him a soft peck on the lips.

Wakaba was sure to bake a pile of goods for the night's events and Watari was gathering the drinks. Yuma and Saya had promised an eggnog to be remembered and Konoe talked Tatsumi into letting them rent a karaoke machine. All was good. Decorations were on their way and his job was to simply keep from eating anything until it was time. But who could resist. They were just there, unsupervised, just calling his name. 

_Tsuzuki, my love…. Coming loves of my life…. Hearts…hearts…hearts…._ [2]

  
  
  
  
  
  


TBC... part 6 next

  
  


A/N: [1] If anyone knows what is like to have a laughing attack, this is what it's like, you laugh uncontrollably until you start turning red, gasping for air. Is quite disabilitating.  
I used to have this attack every time this guy, a friend really, used to look at me with a sort of serious look and he would stare at me with it quite intentionally. It set me off my rocket. I would just start laughing and build it up until I ran out of breath. One day I actually couldn't stop, turned blue, literally, and fell of my chair. My friends, they actually saw me turn colors. Somehow I found this guy's stare hilarious. It worked every time. That time, I think I did pass out. Everything went pretty foggy and dizzy, just the lights. I don't remember the falling on the grown nearly hyperventilating. With no air left. I was still laughing.   
Just thought I'd share that in case you couldn't believe someone can actually pass out from laughing too much, too hard.   
  


[2] Doesn't he remind you of some one...? Someone in white gloves.

  
  
  
  



	6. part 6

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

  

    
    continuation... from part 5
    
    Another update. This story has sure grown into a monster... and I was only aiming for a one-shot. But this is good too. Better late than never.

  
  

    
    (Previously...)

_Tsuzuki, my love…. Coming loves of my life…. Hearts…hearts…hearts…._

  
  

    
    (Let's continue...)

  


So after making sure that everyone was too busy to notice… _Good, no Tatsumi around…_

He stalked his way to the kitchen and a really nice pumpkin pie was cooling by the window sill. And that's not all… All sorts of wonderful smells where coming out of different containers lying on the table and countertop. 

_Hello the love of my life,… after Hisoka,_ he corrected himself, he said to the pie by the window.

"What are you doing you idiot?"

_Busted. _

He flinched.

_Mmmhn!_ So close.

Watari had just walked in to find him with finger hovering above ready to dig in.

"Aow!" His hand got slapped away before he could inflict any real damage. "That's so mean." He whined. Still eyeing the delicious pie. 

Wakaba-chan was making progress with the baked goods, and this one had her high-quality signature stamped all over it. She even baked the cute little fall leaves over it. They looked so real and golden.

"We should've known better than to send the wolf to care for the sheep. You'll just eat it all." He said half jokingly. "Ano, Tsuzuki, What's that look on your face?" He smiled wickedly.

"Ah, I manage to land Hisoka under a mistletoe." He smiled the 200 watts of happiness.

"Success." He posed his patented victory sign with a matching bright smile. The kitchen was suddenly much brighter than before.

"Sort of, he fell asleep." He's smile began to loose brightness. _Aw, he felt depressed now._

_The boy didn't even notice._ Tsuzuki explained to him what happened and told him how everything had happened as Watari predicted, but the drawback had been a too overly exhausted Hisoka, who was barely conscious to respond back.

"Hmm. Tatsumi got away from me too." Said Watari. Also sadden that his own plans to ruffle the feathers of certain secretary were not running as smoothly either. "He came to demand retribution after we redecorated his office. I did manage to land him on his back." He winked and sighed going gaga over the memory. 

He told Tsuzuki…

Tatsumi was mad—that was putting it mildly—he was furious. But then the confused look on his face was precious as Watari didn't even give him time to react. So were his shadows. With a loud thud on the ground the mad scientist captured the baffled secretary in a liplock. It was so unexpected that while he was on his back Tatsumi simply reacted to the kiss by initially submitting to the pleasure. And staring out into space as he looked at a very suspicious blot of green. His glasses had flown off him. 

Watari did notice the nonresistance from Tatsumi and shyly felt him become a participant. Ah, Watari was static. _Success._

_Who knew Tatsumi was so shy._

It didn't last long, Tatsumi realized it too. Just when it was becoming interesting. A sexy blush streaked his face. Watari noted and stored this new information. The secretary was not all that invulnerable. Watari celebrated a happy dance inside his head. He could make a dent to Tatsumi's cool exterior. How much fun it will be now that he knew. 

Tatsumi pushed Watari off and sat on the floor looking for his glasses. Watari had made sure that when he dived for Tatsumi he slipped his glasses off in case he missed his mark. He handed them back. 

Trying his best to regain his cool, Tatsumi pulled the glasses back on and got himself off the floor, lending a hand to Watari who by now was beginning to feel a bit smug. Tatsumi completely dusted his pants off. Blush slowly disappearing too. Yet he still couldn't bring himself to look at Watari directly on the eyes.

"Sorry." Tatsumi said distinctly uncomfortable just standing there, not knowing what to do with his hands.

"Ha-ha! Why are you the one apologizing for?" Watari pointed up noting in his head the unconventional behavior, as if it were an experiment… _for future reference,_ he thought.

He looked. He nodded. "Ah."

Then made his way inside and compulsively with his eyes swept the lab. Watari sweatdropped, he was looking for damage. 

Watari immediately sprinted as he remembered he had a remedy that couldn't fail. And asked Tatsumi if he would like some coffee, dragging him in by the arm before he could escape. 

Tatsumi hesitated behind those glasses, nearly panicked, but Watari swatted the fear away by mentioning that he would make them a fresh pot. After all he had a small personal coffee maker in the lab. Tatsumi relaxed and accepted, biting his tongue as he did. 

As Watari went about the task, Tatsumi began to reprimand him about his office but with less gusto while watching his actions—like a hawk.

_Can you feel the trust and love in this room,_ Watari smiled to himself.

Tsuzuki listened to the rest… "and as he was giving me one of his lectures, he caught me trying to slip my potion into his coffee." Watari nodded in disbelief. "I just wanted to loosen him up a bit, make him more malleable." And he added, "it did wonders for Terazuma when I tested it on him."

Terazuma's little slip of the tongue, was as close to a declaration Wakaba was ever going to get out of him. After, he walked around with a chronic blush for almost two weeks. Watari sighed loudly.

"Now I can't find him anywhere." Watari whined pouting as he did and patting his breast pocket for a little test tube. He still hoped to be able to slip the potion into Tatsumi, somehow.

Both men were in deep thought as to what would be the next move, time was precious. Tsuzuki was knocked out his deep concentration but the tantalizing smell approaching him. Drool began to form around the corners of his mouth gapping bigger and bigger like a hungry animal too starved to think coherently.

"A little bit longer Tsuzuki." Spoke Wakaba from the entrance with a large covered container on her hands. 

_It smells like heaven._

Watari came to her rescue with the box and brought it to the table.

"Wow! Wakaba-chan you are making all sorts of new things."

"Ah! Hajime-chan gave me an early Christmas present so I'm trying it out… Speaking of,… has anyone seen him today? He promised to help with carrying all the dishes here. So far, I haven't seen him since mid-morning. Saya and Yuma saw him here but then he disappeared."

Tsuzuki was lost to them, trying to figure out what was in the box Wakaba brought.

"Can I have a peak? Just a little one." He begged. Puppy eyes at full effect, a small crystalline tear just around the corner of one eye and on his knees. Ears and tail a little droopy.

"I made a caramelized sweet potatoes and baked apples."

"Whah! Hajime it's so lucky." He wagged his tail over-excited. Hands up in a begging position.

Wakaba uncovered her box and retrieved a container. "I'll give you a backed apple. Do you think that can safe guard the rest? After all tonight's the big night." She handed a small place and served him at the table with a little wink. 

"Yippie!" 

Tsuzuki nodded fast without taking his eyes off the prize. 

Watari shook his head smiling. "I don't think his listening. I'll stick around to keep and eye and remind him." He took a seat right across from him, keeping a safe distance from the slaughter. A puppy could get a bit defensive of his sweets.

Wakaba enjoyed watching him eat with that dreamy look on his face. She wanted to ask and look at Watari with a raised eyebrow hopping for an update in 'Operation Mistletoe'.

He flashed a big smile in return.

Ah, stars began to form in her eyes clutching her hands close to her heart…

In the meantime, Saya and Yuma where looking around for the elusive Terazuma and decided to stop by to visit Tsuzuki and see if he might know where Wakaba's partner could be hiding.

The way he had run that morning from them, when he realized he was standing under one of the many mistletoe branches around the office it was almost comical. Saya and Yuma just couldn't resist. It was fun to tease him. He ran from them pulling at his hairs and he screamed.

At the first knock there was no answer so they decided to barge in. No one.

Ah! The small figure laid on the sofa caught their breath. Silently they looked at each other and a knowing smile began to form as they slowly turned to see the beautiful form, so peacefully asleep. A wickedly single idea making their eyes into slits. They approached the still body to look at it closer.

"Hi-so-ka." Yuma sing-sang a whisper into his ear to see if she could get a reaction. 

Cold.

They looked at each other once again and the smile turned into an evil smirk. Saya immediately disappeared and was back within seconds with a bag that said 'Pink House' across it.

They needed no words. Saya closed the door behind her and locked it without a sound except for the 'click'. Almost couldn't hold their burst of laughter, both wanted to explode with giggles. 

This time, they will have pictures. Yuma retrieved a Polaroid camera from the bag and set it aside. 

Both bubbling with excitement, greedy hands pounced for their hapless, unsuspecting victim….

  
  
  
  

    
    TBC... part 7 next

  
  

    
    A/N: How devilish and smart. They're getting themselves a Christmas present too.

  
  
  
  



	7. part 7

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

  

    
    continuation... from part 6
    
    Another update. Yay me. Finally.   
    Sorry for the horrible delay but I have been very busy.   
    Better late than never. At least that's what I say.   
    Oh, and thanks for the reviews on this story and my little valentine quick fic.

  
  

    
    (Previously...)

This time, they will have pictures. Yuma retrieved a Polaroid camera from the bag and set it aside. 

Both bubbling with excitement, greedy hands pounced for their hapless, unsuspecting victim….

  
  

    
    (Let's continue...)

Wakaba got ready to leave after Tsuzuki showered her with complements and she gave him a couple of more baked apples to sample. And made him promise to guard the food, not eat it. 

"But what better place to keep it safe." He argued.

_Who could argue with that logic?_

Watari, had been quiet. Planning…. 

They where by the door, he was ready to leave the kitchen with his friends when they heard a cry that howled through the halls. 

Tsuzuki's ear perk up and suddenly he was no longer puppy. He's eye narrowed and took off in a run, fast. Watari tried to keep up. 

It had sounded awfully familiar.

He got to his office door and it was locked. 

_Hisoka!_

He glued his ear to the door to hear better. He could hear motion, giggles and…. Tsuzuki wanted in. He was sure that had been Hisoka a moment ago.

"Hisoka!" He called out loud worried about what could be happening on the other side.

Watari and Wakaba arrived behind him in time to see him pull a fuda out of his pocket and try to disintegrate the door. Watari grabbed his hand before he could do it.

"Wait! Tsuzuki, don't you have a key?"

He shook his head no. "Soka-chan has it. Hehe, he thinks I'm irresponsible."

"There's a way." Watari took a small vial out of his coat pocket and unscrewed it. "Hold your noses, it's quite powerful." After the warning, Tsuzuki moved aside and let Watari have a crack at the door.

Watari opened the little vial and with its dropper poured a few drops into the key hole. Counted to three.

"Give it a go." Tsuzuki twisted the knob and it gave.

Immediately the door swung opened and the sight threw him into the room. His mouth gasped, loudly, and…

Watari and Wakaba peeked behind. 

"Wow!" Watari stood by the door jaw dropped to the floor.

Wakaba simply reached into her pocket. And drew a little camera she likes to carry around for surprises such as this.

Hisoka was cornered. As the door opened his eyes dropped closed and his face flushed red. _Tsuzuki. _The idiot went still and got that silly grin on his face. _Grinning like an idiot,_ Hisoka noted. Drool beginning to form with his mouth hanging open.

He did his best to try and recover some dignity, and crossed his arms trying to cover himself. A little whimper escaped him. Tsuzuki was not doing anything, just standing there. Everyone just… there looking at him. A flash woke him and glared at Wakaba who just got a shot of him. One more wouldn't matter, right?

_They _already had plenty. Saya was still trying to get him to drop his guard with a tube and brush of mascara on her hand. Yuma held a handful of fresh polaroids and the camera still on her hand. 

Neither bothered to look behind to see who entered, they knew. 

"Tsuzuki, close your gap hole and get them away from me!" He cried out angrily. It was already embarrassing that Terazuma could freak out with his touch. He didn't need to dress the part too.

While Hisoka was passed out, they played dress up with him, unconscious. They were putting the finishing touches on him when he woke up to the tickling sensation of feathery touches on his face. 

Hisoka sported a beautiful short cocktail dress. The dress simply stunning in a bright red satin and lace that made the green of his eyes even greener and much more prominent after the brown eyeliner they used to accentuate them with a soft dusty pink eye shadow. His cheeks looked softer too, dusted with a nice petal rose color and light gloss over those fine lips. They even threw in pair of dressy evening pumps. 

Tsuzuki was forming a puddle below. Hisoka has great ankles. Then he noticed the thin ankle bracelet around one of them. It was so simple he almost missed it, except for the moment in which Hisoka chose to move slightly, it sparkled just right against the light skin. _Hisoka looked…Wow._ He worked his way up that accessorized limb until he made it to those stunning set of bejeweled eyes. His own eyes grew bigger in astonishment._ Enchanting. Mesmerizing. Breathtaking._

Hisoka was angry and embarrassed. He hated being the center of attention. It made him self-conscious. 

"I think Tsuzuki agrees with our masterpiece, Saya." Yuma beamed and aimed the camera.

Hisoka's eyes narrowed a bit, and that's when Yuma took the shot.

"Hisoka truly is beautiful." Saya sighted loudly. "I'm so jealous. His skin is even softer than ours." She pouted.

Hisoka growled.

Tsuzuki was still drooling. Watari was grinning like a madman and Wakaba was still capturing everything on film.

Tsuzuki couldn't help it. His heart skipped a beat when Hisoka narrowed his eyes and later growled. It was too sexy. He wanted to drop dead right now, again, just so he could say he died happy.

This had been one of his secret fantasies, one of the early ones. But he never imagined he could look so good. His little partner was _beautiful_, he sighted. The only other fantasy that involved a dress, was a French maid's outfit. He couldn't tear himself away from those eyes, even when his eyebrow was twitching in annoyance. He saw it coming but didn't realize it was going to hit him even though it was coming straight at him.

Hisoka had had enough. He removed one of his heeled shoes and threw it with anger at Tsuzuki. "Snap out of it you hentai."

Ahaha! He had almost forgotten. Hisoka can feel his thoughts. The heel hit him squarely on the face falling back all the way to the floor.

Swirly-eyed Tsuzuki lifted himself seated on the floor, legs sprawled. 

"Ouchie!" He grabbed his head with both hands, and lost his balance, tipping backwards, long legs and all flapping his arms like a bird.

Hisoka growled angrier than before and got ready to stampede his way out. He hadn't figured out just where his previous clothing had ended up until Tsuzuki, trying to hold himself from hitting the floor once again tipping backward, managed to knock a bag by the couch on the other side. 

_He felt uncomfortable. He felt his underwear too snug for comfort and wanted to snag at where it clanged, everywhere. Wait… He wasn't wearing his usual boxers. _

_Whaaaa!_ He panicked, the rest of his skin getting redder and his face growing hotter attempting to cover himself lower, bracing himself. He felt so naked… he hissed defensibly at both proud, giggly girls in utter horror. 

"Aw! Soka-chan even has nicer calves." Yuma whined. "Must be all that sword swinging."

"Don't forget lace," she turned to look at Tsuzuki no longer swirling his eyes and beginning to focus again in the red-clad youth. "He's wearing a very trim pair of pink lace panties." Saya sparkled. 

Eyeing his orange shirt peeking out of the bag Tsuzuki had knocked over, he figured, pants would be there too. 

_She didn't have to share that with everyone,_ Hisoka hissed some more, frustrated that he didn't see an opening to escape through and wishing the earth would swallow him. 

Tsuzuki and Watari, both reacted by squirting a nosebleed at Saya's loud comment. Wakaba simply extended her hand at each, giving both a tissue from out of one of her pockets. 

Watari broke into laughter at his sudden loss of blood. Hisoka just wanted to disappear into the wall and inched himself further into the corner of the walls. Tsuzuki was tying to hold back the gusher and racking his brains to figure out how to talk Hisoka into letting him take a peek. 

Hisoka suddenly launched himself at Tsuzuki's seated form on the floor with fury… 

_Haha,_ Tsuzuki forgot again, how easy Hisoka could feel his thoughts.

But no, that was not everything that had Hisoka bolting after Tsuzuki in a blind fit of anger.

Hisoka suddenly remembered.

  
  

    
    TBC... part 8 next

  
  

    
    A/N: Tan - tan - tan!!!   
    Aw, I love torturing Hosika in a fun way. He's just too fun...   
    One can never fail to get a raise out of him.   
    Please keep track of this story, it can only grow,   
    even if it looks like I'm writing it for next year instead of last.

  
  



	8. part 8

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin
    
    continuation... from part 7  
      
    Sorry, so sorry.... I left a few people just waiting and waiting...  
    I'm doing my best to update at least once a month and not let it go longer than that.  
    
    I'll continue updating this story until I run out of things to add.  
    
    In the meantime, back to work slave.   
    
    How mean, I don't even get to have an Easter vacation.  
    
      
      
    (Previously...) 

  
  
_Haha,_ Tsuzuki forgot again, how easy Hisoka could feel his thoughts. 

But no, that was not everything that had Hisoka bolting after Tsuzuki in a blind fit of anger.

Hisoka suddenly remembered.  

    
    (Let's continue...) 

An image popped into his head at feeling Tsuzuki's strong, perverted thoughts announcing themselves loudly. His lips crushed under the weight of another tasting chocolate feeling lightheaded and warm. Tsuzuki's lips on his. 

Blood began to boil and his face radically changed color ad he began to recall bits and pieces of the images. The utter possibility was there. 

Mortified at the revelation he could only retaliate.

Hisoka's fevered gaze landed on the culprit that looked guilty as sin. He frowned angrily as Tsuzuki looked at his bottom half, trying to penetrate through the red fabric wishing he had x-ray vision and giving a sheepish grin as he was caught by darken green eyes.

Hisoka then reached down for the other heeled pump as his frown simply deepened and with it he proceeded to go and pound the idiot's head repeatedly with the heeled end yelling obscenities no one knew he knew as he drilled that heel wherever he could land it. 

Tsuzuki had opted for a protective stance, hands over his head, hunching over himself begging for mercy.

All the girls, slow at first, let go of everything they were holding and rushed to rescue Tsuzuki. Yuma hanging on to one arm, preventing him from swinging any more at Tsuzuki while Saya grabbed for his waist to pull away. Wakaba launched for the other arm when Hisoka tried his fist still yelling the many ways he was going to beat the crap out of him and hang him from one of those damn sakura trees by the toes then torture him to death.

"You will never see much less taste another lollipop again" Hisoka was still ranting until Wakaba pulled a sleep fuda she usually reserved for Terazuma in his shiki's form, Kuro-chan, and plastered it on Hisoka's forehead. Causing the boy finally drop languidly into Tsuzuki's arms. He wasn't as battered as they all thought when he flashed to catch Hisoka before he hit the floor face down.

Watari had long since disappeared. Wakaba was not done cooking up a storm and the Hokkaido girls got recruited to help. Just not before trying out one more little number on a very passed out Hisoka. Tsuzuki had been adamant about not letting them do any more and making them promise to put things to rights..._ for about 30 seconds... _

Hisoka had been put under for a good hour. The fuda Wakaba used had a time limit, after all they were especially for Terazuma, who was yet to be found—along with Tatsumi, who rarely enough no one had seen in his office or roaming the halls collecting their overdue reports and other miscellaneous paperwork.

Tsuzuki peeked over to where his younger partner slept over the mountain of paper wrappers he was beginning to accumulate, over to where his younger partner slept. Hisoka was scary with treats and Tsuzuki took them very seriously, specially when they involved his sweets. Hisoka didn't like them, so it was easy for him to feel nothing if say... a cupcake fell on the floor and got trample over many times by a shoe, or a cake fell in the waste basket...of Watari's failed experiments,... or one day a dozen of sugar cookies lost their footing and flew out the window, landing harshly to the floor and be one with the dirt.

Tsuzuki's eyes watered recollecting some of the number of 'accidents' some of his most precious sweets had suffered. And no one had seen a thing. That, or no one was willing to tell him the truth. A truth so terrible..., he had probably opted to ignore and chosen the lesser if more delusional but heavily sugar coated version of his truth. 

So he decided to treat himself to as many lollipops as he could. Right now he was bent over a spread of recent Polaroid pictures they had just finished adding to their collection.

Hisoka always looked good in just about any school uniform he had ever worn since his first job as an undercover student in an all-boy school. But this time, the girls had talked him into letting them dress up Hisoka into something similar but a little different... and special. While they had been at Wakaba's house helping out they borrowed one of Wakaba's many school uniforms, after all, she also did her share of undercover work, as a student. _After all, _she said next to her grumpy partner,_ if she looked the part, might as well play the part. Can't have Hajime prance around in a skirt after all. At least not with those hairy legs._

Privately, Tsuzuki always got a kick out of seeing the girls come up with the best their closets could hold. But couldn't let his partner sense it. After all, he had been the one to tell the girls first about his cute new partner. It was his guilty pleasure to see Hisoka model what the girls brought. It was their way to show they cared and how much they enjoyed including Hisoka into the group. Whether he liked it or not. All he wanted was for his partner to feel loved and accepted so in occasion he would make little discreet suggestions to give the girls ideas into what he'd like his partner to try.

The first dress the girls ever tried on Hisoka had been his undoing. Since then, his guilty pleasures no longer included just sugar, butter and flour with a cherry on top. For now... the cherry will have to do... But in his mind he had already knocked the cherry and added Hisoka to the mix and it was... 

_Perrfect...Augh, mouthwatering..._ Tsuzuki squirmed in a sugar-high.

The final touches... two ribbons in his hair. 

The girls biggest debate had been knee socks or ankle socks with frilly trimming to go with the very short skirt. All in all, he looked just too cute. The girls wanted to wake him up before his time but Tsuzuki was a little afraid. He wasn't even going to tell him about these pictures, they were going straight into his private collection. 

Some of the poses were just too cute...

He was deliriously happy. Seeing his partner dressed up in many boy uniforms always made him fantasize but girl uniforms were just as good. If not better. Hisoka really did have great legs. He nodded to himself while sucking vigorously at his quickly diminishing lollipop. 

Here, the picture where Hisoka laid down with his eyes closed and partly hanging off the couch, his fingers brushing the carpet below. One elbow raised by his head and a finger tentatively brushing his parted lips._ Aw, just like a day dream_. This was his favorite. He didn't really look like he was asleep, just with his eyes closed, no angry frown, or tight lip either, just partly open showing the barest of sign of a sigh,... just quietly resting his eyes. So peaceful, like the little angel he knew he was,... so beautiful... and sexy.

_Sigh!_

After the photo-session of sorts, Tsuzuki led the girls into putting things back to normal before Hisoka awoke and all Hell broke loose... again. 

It was Christmas and Hisoka deserved a little something just for him too, so Tsuzuki would grant him a little peace, torment-free, for the rest of the afternoon and send the girls packing off to Wakaba. 

He waited for the girls to finish their cleanup job outside. As tempting as it was to see them strip Hisoka on and off and on again. He would leave that for later, until Hisoka gave him permission himself. As much as he enjoyed teasing Hisoka to no end and watch him get all worked up with so little effort he had a feeling that would be too much, given his history. He would be signing his death warrant for sure, no torture, no treats, no warning.

Hisoka opened his eyes. It was quiet. He stared at the ceiling wondering why... He couldn't feel anyone around the vicinity. He felt rested but he remembered everything. Looking around everything seemed so normal, like he had just had a bad dream.

But he as sure it wasn't so, most of his nightmares came from true life experiences... Unfortunately, none of them were silly, fictionally-created garble... Those few that were leaning toward fictional always were some form of mutated bad dream from his nightmares based on real life. He did not enjoy dreaming. Rarely he indulged in oversleeping. With that, he swung a foot over to the floor... and noticed he was back to wearing his normal clothing. He let out a sigh of relief. 

He still felt a bit uncomfortable as he moved to seat up straight on the couch. His shirt and pants were back on him and his outdoor jacket was laying on top, covering him up. It wasn't as cold here as it was on the land of the living... there snow was predicted to fall at dusk.

He was about to step outside the office to investigate why it was so suddenly quiet outside when a choir of giggles coming from outside made his crouched to the floor in fear. He heart almost came out through his chest. Slowly he climbed to couch and peaked over the window from the side to see what was happening. 

The Hokkaido girls were outside swinging a a pink bag, no doubt girl clothes, and Tsuzuki was standing with them laughing his head off clutching something to his chest. He felt overjoyed, in waves. 

Suddenly, Hisoka felt tired again. Tsuzuki wasn't even trying to shield. There was still much of the day left. If things kept going the way they'd been heading all morning. He couldn't see how he would survive. He flopped on the couch and sighted again.

Hisoka decided to remove himself before he could be spotted and wondered where would be a good place to hide before they came back with more dresses to torture him. He heard another wave of giggles and decided not to linger.

That's how he ended _here_.

He looked over at Tatsumi and Terazuma who seemed to be having some sort of nervous problem. His hands were trembling just a bit. And he couldn't seem to sit still for five seconds. He kept shifting on his seat. He didn't want to intrude but it was making him nervous. After all, there was the danger of his shikigami showing up... and ultimately destroying the library... again.

Hisoka suppressed the urge to reach out and slap Terazuma. He felt him in waves and the feelings he projected were nauseating. He stopped writing for a minute and the pen must have dropped form his hand while in the middle of deciphering Tsuzuki's expense report. Tatsumi noticed but didn't stop him from punching numbers in his handy calculator. Some years ago someone thought it would be a good Christmas present to give the man a financial calculator, it was a cheap one but it gave good service.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you doing alright?"

"Fine." He snapped his eyes open with a little difficulty, keeping his voice calm and low.

"You look a little pale and yellow." Tatsumi stated, as a matter of fact, but tightening hi hold on his mental shields.

Hisoka noticed how Tatsumi went a little more rigid than normal, if that was possible.

"It's not you Tatsumi-san. Terazuma is fidgeting too much."

At hearing this, Terazuma stopped chewing on the tip of his pen and looked up at Hisoka and then at Tatsumi, surprised to be spoken about by Hisoka.

"Sorry. I just need a cigarette." He said quietly and a little flustered to caused the boy discomfort due to his little habit that brought him the complete opposite feeling. 

Tatsumi thought about it for a minute and stopped his work completely.

"Kurosaki-kun, why don't you go and rest a while over on that couch. I'll go with Terazuma and find an open window."

"Maybe I should just go home for a while."

Hisoka was thinking he could hide at home just as easily and with fewer people. Tsuzuki would still think he was somewhere in the building and wouldn't look for him at home until late.

"Kurosaki-kun, you should know by now that during holidays our division is in high alert due to the high rate in deaths and we just can't leave even if we wanted to just go back to our offices."

Hisoka looked at Tatsumi's annoyed expression. "What do you mean?"

Terazuma responded with spite.

"Gushoshin raised a barrier spell around the library to ward off unwanted visitors. Once invited in you can't leave until after hours."

"What!" Hisoka gapped. "Why did they do that?"

"Two words." Terazuma left his seat with Tatsumi, he was getting more agitated, the idea that he might get to have his precious nicotine not aiding. "Yuma, Saya." He counted, showing his fingers to Hisoka that represented the two girls.

Hisoka's little mouth opened but no noise came out. He watched them leave, but just before, Terazuma explained why... "They attempted to dress them in elf garb."

Hisoka left himself flop onto the couch he laid on when he first arrived at the library unceremoniously, dangling his legs to the side, thinking...

This has been a very long day. He's taken two naps already during the day. He opted instead for a book.
    
    TBC... part 9 next 


	9. part 9

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 8 

> _Sorry, it takes so long for me to update. Life gets on the way. I'll do my best to keep up, just not always do things go as you plan. There's more..._

(Previously...) 

This has been a very long day. He's taken two naps already during the day. He opted instead for a book.

(Let's continue...)

* * *

At Wakaba's home, there was quite a commotion. Three giggling girls were hyperactively singing jingles from a CD and massively hacking it to pieces inserting their words as they sang along.

Wakaba had the kitchen in an uproar.

She had been cooking since early morning. More like since Terazuma stopped by with her early Christmas present.

Mixing the plum pudding a little more she recalled this morning...

He was so shy, he wanted her to have it without the onlookers making a fuzz about what he chose to give her. Especially Tsuzuki, who would tease him mercilessly but reap the benefits nonetheless from Terazuma's present.

Terazuma had been walking on eggshells for a few days back from now. She was beginning to have a bad vibe. Hiding away as to not to give himself away. It was making her crazy.

But she simply smiled and dug her heels into the tiles.

…Wakaba retrieved her baking dish and dumped the plum pudding in. Terazuma will love it. This one was exclusively for him; she smiled sweetly to herself satisfied with what promised to be a very successful dish.

Wakaba was a bit worried. Terazuma wouldn't look at her in the eye. He would shy away like he… she wasn't sure how to even finish that thought.

The only one she could conceive having a breakdown was Tsuzuki and Tsuzuki thus far was so genuinely exited now that he's actively trying to get Hisoka to take the next obvious step on their relationship with him for a breakdown.

As an early morning person, she chirped in the kitchen excitedly, as she heard the front door shimmed.

"Morning Hajime-chan. What brings you so early in the morning?" She opened the door wider for her partner to get in.

He mumbled a morning.

The air was nippy. _Brrr._

She closed the door trying to take a peek but he turned as he entered preventing her from looking.

"Coffee's brewing and I have muffins in the oven."

"Thanks Kanuki." He was looking down at his shoes. Hmm, just like when he came to deliver her birthday card and pink carnation. He waited on her to guide him to the kitchen—examining the floor.

She served him a cup and a fresh muffin from the batch she planned to take into the office this morning later on.

He sat there for a minute just drinking his coffee until he finally looked at her and pushed a wrapped gift across the table towards her with something unintelligible and a grunt.

"Huh!" Knowing what he meant by now, the hidden meaning of each of his grunts were quite clear. But she played dumb.

Hajime blushed. Just a smidgen, knowing he had to repeat himself. Wakaba mused, that night he delivered her birthday card he was blushing as pink as the carnation attached to the envelope.

"It's your early Christmas present."

"Ah, thank you Hajime-chan. But why so early?"

_Yes!_

"I thought you might enjoy it before tonight. Open it." His tone had softened just a bit. Usually he was curt and even harsh towards everyone, with the exception of her and Hisoka, who to all intents and purposes Terazuma sort of associated with a girl so he tried to tone down the attitude. Girls were his weakness and if he didn't want to be threaten with a touch of a delicate hand he knew to behave, or else. And grind his teeth if he had to... holding back his temper which usually was unleashed, quite purposely targeted towards Tsuzuki.

Wakaba smiled, one of her endearing smiles.

He was back to staring at his coffee but taking quick glances at her.

_Gleee!_

Wakaba was beyond herself. She undid the colorful ribbon and started peeling the layers of the paper.

_Such nice paper too,_ Wakaba thought. _Hajime really put a lot of thought into it._

As she pulled the paper apart a face came into view.

A book. 

In awe, she passed her hand over the cover. "Hajime-chan, I love it."

It was a cooking book. "And not just any book..." She breathed out trying to control the tears that threaten to spill,... no, Hajime would definitely not appreciate tears, even if they were out of happiness, he would take it the wrong way. "A Julia Child hard cover."

Wakaba picked the book up with outmost care and embraced it adoringly... Yes, she was happy.

Hajime got started with his muffin, a little hidden smile dancing on his face. Wakaba really loved his present.

"Julia Child is the best. I've never tried any of these before," she pointed to the picture on the jacket's back-cover. She was hugging Julia Child to her chest.

Happy to be a success, Hajime grunted with satisfaction and stuffed as much into his mouth to hide his smile. And immediately Wakaba reached for the basket of fresh-baked muffins and moved them closer to him, indulging him more. "Here, have some more. I'm going to get started on a few new dishes from this book." She squealed sparkly-eyes and running her index finger through the table of contents looking for the desserts.

"Oi, what about work?"

"Its Christmas Hajime-chan. Tatsumi-san will understand, unless he'd rather pay for the food instead of me cooking it?!"

He sat thoughtfully and worked it out in his head. Yup, Tatsumi would rather have her cook. It tasted better, anyway.

Currently, however, Terazuma had been dragged around the library until finally coming across a window. Gushoshin didn't want to invite Kuro-chan. He was a messy kitten.

Tatsumi realized Terazuma needed to literally stick his head out of a window. He couldn't imagine being stuck in the library for nearly all day since he himself could spend days in his office working without realizing it was no longer Monday but Friday. Especially in the days that Tsuzuki was out of the office in assignment. Those were the days he cherished, even if he did miss the noise. He didn't miss the destruction the man could leave in his path.

_Ah, window!_

Terazuma searched frantically, practically tearing his shirt pocket for his cigarette pack, drawing one out and his lighter. His hand was shaking. It took both his hands holding the lighter tightly for the flame to latch onto the tip of the stick.

And inhale.

…

His whole body exhaled. Muscles relaxed with the first deep drag.

Even Tatsumi relaxed a little just by watching him. His taut shoulders dropped a bit. He could now understand Hisoka a little better. What a relief. He hadn't notice before until now but Terazuma had been making him edgy as well, he was just better at ignoring fidgeting people around him. Tsuzuki was great practice for that. The entire building could collapse all around him and he wouldn't notice, unless it cost the department money from their budget; which usually did, given the demolition demon they owned.

Terazuma was enjoying his smoke. He could feel it travel in and out of his lungs and run through his body like wild fire.

_Oh, how he had longed to have it._

He stuck as much as he could out the window. It wasn't a big window, His shoulders would get stuck if he tried to squeeze through it and attempt escape.

That's right. He was thinking again.

He stuck his hand out, cigarette dangling from his fingers.

He had seen in the teen's eyes the restrain he was practicing on not give into his instinct to just bitch-slap him silly. He had been driving himself and everyone else crazy. Even Tatsumi had shown signs of irritation with him at close inspection.

He had all the time in the world to study them. Tatsumi's workaholic ethics were not helping. After fifteen minutes of failed attempts at concentration on his papers had proved that he really needed out before he felt too weak to keep from transforming and Kuro wanted out. The damn shiki couldn't stand him either. Hell, Terazuma couldn't stand himself. If he could crawl out of his own skin he would.

_Wonder what Wakaba is up to right now. _He mused. Something good he hoped. He hadn't been prepared for the onslaught of Christmas cheer she and her accomplices had unleashed.

He, of all people, should've expected it. The girls were always this hyper come the holidays they deemed 'romantic' and Christmas much like Valentine's were high ranking in the department. Although in his book, Valentine's was always worse. The expectations were high and girls purposely aimed for him because they could and he was helpless to stop them. He got more exercise in that day out of the whole year. Girls from other departments were as competitive as the ones in his office.

_I think they have a club._

"Excuse me?"

"Huh?" Hell, he said that out loud. Tatsumi was eyeing him warily.

"The girls from the office and the other departments, haven't you noticed how well organized and uniform their activities seem to be around the mayor holidays? It's like they plan it ahead of time. Christmas, Valentine's, White Day, Golden Week… and whatever else they can think of…."

Tatsumi frowned. As a matter of fact he had noticed. But he had no proof.

"Every year is different but the same." Terazuma grunted in dislike. "It's like they plan it that way."

"Conspiracy?" Tatsumi wondered raising an eyebrow above the rim of his glasses.

"It's like the have a club or call each other… some underground network."

"Too perfect to be organized," Tatsumi immediately rationalized; there wasn't much he didn't know in his department.

"And it's just girls." Terazuma was babbling now.

"Watari is following along." So no, Tatsumi thought, it can't be just girls… and frowned remembering the first attempted attack, his office and later…. He cut off that line of thinking and covered the slight sting of a blush across his cheeks.

"No, not the women in our department."

Tatsumi began to rationalize.

"They can't keep a secret for too long. Something so covert can't stay secret with them knowing about it for such a stretch of time. This has been happening for as long as I've been here." Tatsumi said with enough conviction.

Terazuma nodded in agreement seeing how that could be true. Yuma and Saya would blow up if they had a secret—especially one of their own. Wakaba would've tipped it accidentally by now too. She liked sharing too much.

"Watari thinks like a girl." Terazuma bleeped. "Thinking of sex change potions must have rotted his brain to the point of thinking like the opposite sex."

Tatsumi presumed Terazuma was right. Well… before his mind could wonder any further he broke away. "Back to work." He said more for himself than his young nicotine addict. Those ledgers were not going to magically fill and balance themselves.

Terazuma was finished with his smoke.

_Ah! He felt like a new man._ For a stretch of five whole minutes until Tatsumi started back through whence they came. Terazuma had much respect for the man but he really needed to learn to relax five minutes a day instead of per year.

* * *

TBC... part 10 next 


	10. part 10

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 9

> _ A/N: This is in response to one of my readers who was kind enough to send a review.   
  
Thank you so much for keeping up.  
  
For those of you wondering why are you reading a Christmas story in summer-time, haven't you ever heard of Christmas in July? Anyhow, I'm writing this story for next year and since I couldn't finish in time last year--and then it grew into a monster--so my plan is to finish in time for next year.  
  
Cross your fingers and hope I finish.  
  
I have six other stories on the works. Aparently one-shots are not within my grasp. My stories tend to mutate when I get distracted. If I were a blonde I would look exactly like Watari (except my gender-changing formula 'does' work like a charm), even my glasses are oval-shaped and I like Tatsumi too. Someday I'll stop writing about my favorite experiment--uhm... I mean, couple... and gun for my favorite tall, burnette and handsome.  
  
_

(Previously...)

_Ah! He felt like a new man._ For a stretch of five whole minutes until Tatsumi started back through whence they came. Terazuma had much respect for the man but he really needed to learn to relax five minutes a day instead of per year.

(Let's continue...)

* * *

"Tsuu-zuu-kii!" A deep cavernous growl came from behind.  
  
Tsuzuki stopped in mid-run, tailcoat catching up with him as he came to an abrupt stop and turned his head to look behind, sweatdropping at the sight that lay—'_gulp_'—on the floor—'_hehe_'—nostrils flaring.  
  
Sheepish little grin on his face, Tsuzuki put his foot down and walked, slowly retracing his steps toward the prone mass still on the floor.  
  
"Chief," scratching the back of his head.  
  
He maintained a reasonable distance for fleeing, if it became necessary, as it dawn on Tsuzuki now it may be possible that this might be his doing—Konoe on the floor looking not too pleasantly at Tsuzuki.  
  
To alleviate some of the anger, Tsuzuki sprouted his signature ears and wagging tail, bringing his fists upon his mouth to muffle a little laugh at just how funny the Chief looked—like a miffed bull on an ice skating ring. His eyes grew watery when forcing himself not to laugh out loud, yet managing to look as cutely innocent, while shoving his fists tighter against his mouth. Little muffled and distorted squeaks escaping here and there.  
  
"Stop looking at me like the idiot you know you are and help me up." Konoe mumbled something that came along the lines of '_knees shot to Hell in this weather_.'  
  
In other words… Konoe's aches and pains of old age are feeling the weather as Meifu mimics the living world with its winter.  
  
As this revelation came to Tsuzuki while trying to give the Chief a hand, he almost choke forcing down the immediate burst of a laugh that he lost his hold on the arm of the old man that bounced back down.  
  
Tsuzuki snorted and pressure from the forced down laugh came out through his nose—'_ew!_'  
  
Konoe grumbled something under his breath in clenched teeth along the lines of 'lousy, good for nothing'—mumble, mumble—'strongest'—mumble more—'numbskull'—mumble, growl—'old man'—whine—'hour of need.'  
  
Just as the growling had turn into a whine, Tsuzuki had managed to fully restore Konoe to his former standing position.  
  
As he eased the creases on his posterior, Konoe turned a suspicious look to Tsuzuki. The crazy man only ran for three reasons: after his partner, away from work (a.k.a. Tatsumi, whose ears have begun to tingle at sensing his name) and after sweets… Konoe suspected the latter of all three since he was so one-track minded that Tsuzuki didn't even notice him on his path. As his superior, Konoe wanted his cut of the bounty—for looking for them on company time.  
  
"Just why are you in such a hurry? Huh, Tsuzuki? Something important I should know? Or are you hiding from someone?"  
  
Eyes as big as saucers, Tsuzuki shook his head left and right, puppy ears and tail puffing off…  
  
"Noo." He said showing his complete ignorance of the Chief's strong accusations and implied suspicions.  
  
"Then, explain why are you running through the halls like a crazed maniac not caring if you run people over?"  
  
"Eh, well…" Tsuzuki wasn't sure just what to say. It has been an hour since he began to panic. Exactly five minutes after he came into his office room to find it empty, Tsuzuki wanted to cry. "Soka… he's… I can't find him."  
  
"Ah." Konoe finally understood.  
  
Bigger than missing sweets were Hisoka's disappearance acts. "Well, he can't be far." Konoe strengthened up. "Kurosaki is a diligent worker. He's probably doing something constructive...'_like working_'." He emphasized to Tsuzuki. _Hm, come to think of he too was looking for a missing someone._ Konoe changed his tone. "Say, Tsuzuki, have you seen Tatsumi anywhere?"  
  
Konoe had been looking for Tatsumi for the past couple of hours and no one could tell him just where his secretary had run off. His office was deserted except for the Christmas lights blinking around. None of the workers on the entire floor had seen him. Not even the accounting department from two floors below. He'd asked the Count if Tatsumi had maybe paid him a visit—nothing.  
  
Watari even sent 003 in his search, just in case the little owl could spot him through a window, or the sakura groves—although it was cold outside.  
  
Tsuzuki was just shaking his head until his mouth fell open with what the Chief had just asked. Realization came and he wanted to scream, which he did.  
  
"Noo! Tatsumi!"  
  
Tsuzuki was in serious distress.  
  
"Soka-chan is missing and Tatsumi too?!"  
  
Konoe nodded slightly and then frowned, two of his most efficient people where missing. "What are you getting at you idiot?"  
  
Tsuzuki pouted. "Earlier today Tatsumi took Hisoka from me." It had been a dirty trick to force him to work, but still, what if…  
  
Konoe relaxed. Tatsumi must be working on something that required some help from the ONLY dependable worker they had, yet unmarred by the laziness of his partner. But by the look on Tsuzuki he frowned again, seeing the grown man about to burst out crying.  
  
Surprisingly, Tsuzuki refrained from opening up a dam and instead...  
  
"Tatsumi can't do this to me." The grown man whined. "He's mine."  
  
With that last statement he adopted a serious look only reserved for when they were in battle-ready missions.  
  
Konoe blinked noticing the sudden change.  
  
"Tsuzuki, just what are you getting at?" He repeated himself with more feeling.  
  
"Tatsumi is trying to steal my partner." Tsuzuki sniffled, a tear was beginning to peak. "Although I can see what's to like. Soka's really smart and pretty, so brave and strong. He can cook too." Tsuzuki could only smack his gums in delight. "He makes my favorite every month—of course; he uses it as leverage to make me work on my end-of-the-month reports, but still." Tsuzuki dropped his shoulders. "Come to think of it, he's kind of like Tatsumi in some ways. I can see how Hisoka might like Tatsumi more…."  
  
Suddenly, Tsuzuki let go of the tear that had been hanging by the corner of his eye. The sniffle turned into something louder, and then, more tears followed.  
  
The dam had broken. Konoe, opposite to popular belief, _did_ know everything that happened in his office. How could he not when they were so vocal!  
  
Tsuzuki retreated running away from him, in Watari's direction.  
  
After the storm dissipated Konoe was about to continue his search for his missing secretary when he turn to only face a mask and two, gathered-together, white gloves.  
  
Konoe swallowed his heart and stood back a step.   
  
"Ah, what brings you here Count?"  
  
The Count didn't answer right away. His gloved fingers were tapping each other as if on thought (or mischievous planning). Konoe was about to repeat his question when…  
  
"Tsuzuki seems upset."   
  
The Count sounded heart-felt for Tsuzuki's condition.  
  
"Maybe I can kiss his boo-boos and make him feel better."  
  
There it is, Konoe twitched his eyebrow in annoyance. The Count just couldn't be any different or think of anything else.  
  
"Is there anything we can do for you?"  
  
"Oh, I was about to ask the same question," answered the Count, drumming his fingers, still. "You sounded so concerned for your missing Tatsumi, I thought I might be able to see what's going on… but by Tsuzuki's cries it sounds like it could be serious. Two shinigamis is something of a concern."  
  
Konoe's patience was surely beginning to wan.  
  
"Yes, well, I'm sure they are somewhere in the building working hard. After all, it's the holiday season and much work needs to be completed before the end of the year."  
  
"I'm sure you're right. In the meant time I'll go console poor Tsuzuki. And see about his Christmas gift." The Count laughed moving away.  
  
Konoe sweatdropped.   
  
_Just what he needed_, perhaps, it would be best to simply retreat himself into his office for the rest of the day. Wherever Tatsumi may be, he had no doubts, the man was working hard.  
  
In the distance he could hear the Count's shrilling voice calling for Tsuzuki.  
  
Konoe slammed his office door and drowned the screaming that was soon to follow. Tsuzuki could handle himself around the Count. He's done it for years.

* * *

TBC... part 11 next 


	11. part 11

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 10

> _ A/N: An update!  
  
Thank you for reviews and again, don't be afraid to point things out such as grammar and spelling. Sometimes I read this so many times that I no longer see the errors that for you are probably pretty obvious.  
  
I could use a beta-reader.   
  
Just think, you'll be the first to read the story before anyone else.   
  
_

(Previously...)

Konoe slammed his office door and drowned the screaming that was soon to follow. Tsuzuki could handle himself around the Count. He's done it for years.

(Let's continue...)

* * *

Tsuzuki was inconsolable crying his eyes out on a dingy white coat. Mild explosion averted… for the time being.  
  
The blonde couldn't make head or tails of the muffled sounds between sniffs. Most of what he could understand revolved around Tatsumi and Hisoka. Tsuzuki cursed Tatsumi and pleaded Hisoka's name. That's about all he could make out… the rest was buried under sobs, stutters, and blurred exclamations.  
  
Not two minutes later the Count made his grand entrance announcing himself with his battle cry.   
  
_He-He!_ Watari almost let a tear dropped of laughter. _Ah, battle cry…_ Sometimes he killed himself—which sure explains why he's now a shinigami—Watari laughed to himself some more.  
  
At the Count's entrance Tsuzuki scurried himself for cover stopping his cries cold, and putting a stumper to his Tatsumi-Hisoka make-believe soap opera.  
  
Fast forgotten what he had been crying about Tsuzuki could only think of saving his skin.  
  
The Count came leaping into the lab waving his white linen and lace handkerchief. "Yoo-hoo!"  
  
Tsuzuki sweat-dropped, was that a sign of peace to trick him into a false sense of security. _How stupid did he think he was? He'd fallen plenty of times for that trick already to learn from his mistakes. No, no… Not this time. _ Tsuzuki shook his head like a shaggy dog snapping back into reality.  
  
Tsuzuki took refuge behind Watari. Not even the Count was crazy enough to approach the well-known crazy scientist into his den.  
  
"Don't worry Tsuzuki, the Count is here to dry your tears." He waved the handkerchief around like a peace flag.  
  
Amused, Watari interceded. "What brings you out here Count?" While Tsuzuki shriveled behind him.  
  
"Word travels fast that two shinigamis are… shall we say…" The Count suggestively added, "missing in action."  
  
At that, Tsuzuki started crying again.   
  
Now Watari could understand a little of what Tsuzuki had been wailing about.   
  
Watari only smirked at the cleverness of the Count taking advantage of the situation to play it to _his_ advantage.   
  
Tsuzuki could see right through him too, literally, but it still hurt to think about it. Tatsumi had held Hisoka hostage, earlier, just so he could get him to work. What if that hadn't been the only reason? After all, he was one of the only two who refuse to help Tsuzuki to capture the heart of his love. Those two only made him feel more depressed… and suspicious.  
  
Tsuzuki growled a bit puppyish, not taking his eyes from the current menace.  
  
"Oh, don't worry Tsuzuki this year I'm giving you an extra special gift to cheer you up. A gift just for you," he snickered covering where everyone assumed was his mouth with his handkerchief.   
  
Watari's curiosity peaked. _Ah,_ Watari clasped his heart. He was a sucker for soap opera activities, it gave him a chance to study his fellow shinigamis while interacting and adding his own grain of salt to the mix and watch the explosions fly.   
  
The naughty undertone in the words had a hidden message, more so than the usual ones the Count sent Tsuzuki's way. Watari's eyes brighten. The Count was most generous when Tsuzuki asked. _Ow, he wished Tatsumi was here to ask for a nice cash Christmas bonus, this was the time, Tatsumi could really milk it._  
  
Of course it always had a price tag, but Tsuzuki was somehow always able to talk his way out, or run if necessary, and with some luck, straight into Tatsumi who could bargain the price.  
  
"A little green here, a little red there…." The Count continued. "Oh, I can't wait to see the look on your face." He laughed impishly. "I went through a lot of trouble just to find out what would be the perfect gift this year. Just remember who's giving it to you." The count pointed a finger at Tsuzuki accentuating his words while the other idly waves his handkerchief. "Or better yet," he paused his extravagant gestures and a palpable smirk behind the mask could be sensed. Greedy fingers began to flex. "Why don't you start now and will get it out of the way. You'll be too busy later pacifying your sweet tooth with my special gift." He insinuated himself throwing a palpable wink at his intended victim.  
  
Tsuzuki was busy at the moment trying to escape the Count who had opted to glomp him. Watari paid no heed. Tsuzuki—somehow—'always' escaped, he thought as the man was chased around the lab. Grabby gloves trying to pinch a handful of Tsuzuki's… well… that's not important, thought Watari, who dismissed the disturbance as he tried to decipher the nature of the gift.  
  
As he pondered unaffected by the ruckus around him… 003 was zooming around the building peering through every window opening looking for her target.  
  
Poor 003-chan was getting exhausted. Her little wings couldn't take much more. She had stated from the top and work her way down. Curiously, she had noticed smoke. Then it got smothered.  
  
As she was descending, she caught a peek of Terazuma's hand waving out. But what made her flutter with excitement was that she had finally found her mark.  
  
The two humans were retreating from the small window. She couldn't wait to get back to the lab and report to her owner.  
  
Going around the building one more time, she lost sight of them but... at least she could return to the lab happy to be petted and rewarded for her good work. Her Watari-chan will be so excited.  
  
Winding their way through the library, Tatsumi and Terazuma returned to their perch, where Tatsumi's reports awaited. Hisoka had disappeared.  
  
Tatsumi assumed the teen had gotten bored and wondered off in search of a book as it was his habit. The boy could devour volumes if left on his own. Only once had he actually caught him reading something other than literary books or some non-fiction.  
  
Tsuzuki's taste in books were questionable and Hisoka must have felt curiosity taking over at the perplexed look Tatsumi found on the boy's eyes looking down the pages of a colorful-covered book, those eyes were getting too big for his face.   
  
Tatsumi felt guilty once those eyes lifted from the pages, only to find them looking in his direction, cheeks redden, he immediately dropped the book, so obviously Tsuzuki's, back at the other's desk where an absent Tsuzuki usually sat.  
  
Tatsumi chose not to say anything and continued on his way not wishing any further embarrassment between the two. A day later he found himself asking the younger Gushoshin about the early history on manga and managed to find a book that concentrated on early forms of manga as an art form and its history throughout the ages from its earliest conception to modern times. Tatsumi felt the need to aid Tsuzuki in explaining to the boy why his odd taste in reading material fascinated him so.   
  
Truth be told, it was because Tsuzuki got headaches if books had no pictures. But Hisoka didn't need to know that just yet. The boy will hopefully over analyze it and come up with the conclusion that Tsuzuki's choice readings were ulteriorly motivated to something more abstract and intellectual than what Tatsumi knew to be the truth. Give Tsuzuki a bit of clout and gain some brownie points with his love interest.  
  
Tatsumi smirked. He could see the positive effects that having a Tsuzuki in love could do for the office efficiency meter when used to one's advantage.  
  
Terazuma looked at the secretary seating beside him smirking and shuddered at the cold sight, scooting his chair away from the Shokan secretary. Tatsumi was giving away a vive that even he with his underdeveloped empathic abilities could sense. And it bode unpleasantness to who ever the hapless victim happened to be.

* * *

TBC... part 12 next 


	12. part 12

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 11

_Finally and update.  
Well, this took long enough. Lots and lots going on in life.  
I hate meetings but they're good for writing little ficlets.  
I had so many post-its it took me forever first find them all and then to type it all up and make sense of their order.  
If you find something off sequence let me know. Same with misspellings and grammar._

(Previously...) 

Terazuma looked at the secretary seating beside him smirking and shuddered at the cold sight, scooting his chair away from the Shokan secretary. Tatsumi was giving away a vive that even he with his underdeveloped empathic abilities could sense. And it bode unpleasantness to who ever the hapless victim happened to be.

(Let's continue...)

* * *

A couple of people were talking by the water cooler, though not to drink the water. For they all knew that it was likely some mad scientist that shall remain nameless had long gotten to it. (And probably forgotten what was mixed in the colorless water.) A few others were passing by trying to finish work as they were suddenly uprooted off the floor spinning on their heels by a mysterious dust cloud breaking light speed that made a pause by an office—Konoe nameplate on the outside—stuck its head in to say something intelligible with the word 'Tatsumi' tagged to it and disappearing to continue its trek. 

Konoe sank into his chair, he hadn't a change to raise and welcome the intruder. He'd long forgotten the reason he'd been looking for his secretary, but it was nice to know someone still cared to let him know—now, back to picking songs for karaoke.

After what he considered a mild explosion in the lab, Watari couldn't wait. He was too exited. He unglued himself and Tsuzuki off the ceiling and neither was sure just where the Count had landed.

He had been stealing groping opportunities too close to Tsuzuki… Where Tsuzuki moved, there he went… In hot pursuit again…

Tsuzuki was looking to hide in Watari's lab coat to be precise, when the explosion sent them off.

Watari gave his partner in crime an inquisitive look. Tsuzuki shrugged without a second thought.

Tsuzuki sure wasn't concerned about the Count so Watari didn't worry either; he left in a hurry, Tsuzuki on tow.

Some upturn desks, people willowing in the air like bowling pins before landing, one wall that couldn't be avoided (in time) they arrived outside the double doors to their final destination.

Watari picked some plaster out of his hair and Tsuzuki dusted himself off.

Tsuzuki just wasn't sure how to understand 003-chan's excited hooting. Between the groping and her flapping around his head and her attempts at pulling Watari's hair in the direction the little owl wanted him to take. Watari had suddenly gotten that bright-eyed look when an idea suddenly hits him and had jumped, literally, and dropped a big gallop of powder onto a couple of bickers that had and adverse reaction and foamed first, turned into a soufflé rising and blew like a volcano when both mixes touched.

Now that they knew where Tatsumi had been hiding he knew that's where Hisoka had to be, after all, he loves the library. (Mainly because Tsuzuki has been permanently banned out of it, not that Tsuzuki remembers.)

Watari told Tsuzuki to wait outside and let him handle it to first remove Tatsumi out of the library then he could go after Hisoka undisturbed.

…

Five minutes later Watari marched himself out with a pout and eyes slitted looking back at the doors he just exited like he could incinerate them at sight.

Tsuzuki looked at Watari expectantly and confused. He'd never seen Watari this mad before, well, Tatsumi could drive him crazy sometimes.

Tsuzuki was about to ask but Watari turned to him with a crazy glint on his eyes.

"We're going back to the lab."

Watari pounded his steps on the floor in a tantrum.

"What? What happened?" Tsuzuki asked Watari's back confounded. "I thought you were getting Tatsumi."

Watari lowered his head, "I can't," he whined. He whirled around, lab coat swishing around him. "But I will." He declared showing Tsuzuki his intent with a 'V' of victory and a mischievous grin, eyes glittering behind his glasses.

Moving away from the library Tsuzuki followed while Watari mumbles intelligibly.

Mid-way through the corridors heading back to Watari's lab a voice echoes…"They WHAT?!"

…

Tsuzuki was fuming. Thankfully with no signs of the Count anywhere in the vicinity, Tsuzuki was pacing back and forth while resident mad scientist was busy researching on his computer the many ways to break through a barrier spell. There were many varieties, so they needed to find the right one. Things would be easier if they knew what book the Gushoshin got it.

The longer Watari spent researching the more scenarios Tsuzuki build in his head.

_Tsuzuki's head was getting crowded… _

"Kurosaki-kun, please come with me, it's important." Tatsumi showed up at their shared office. Offered Hisoka a hand and blushing Hisoka hesitantly trusted the evil secretary for the evil glint against his glasses hid Tatsumi's true purpose, which is to kidnap Hisoka from Tsuzuki to enslave him and have him do work. (Side image: Tsuzuki in a bike pedaling away for all eternity. While Tatsumi holds Hisoka against him and watches as he laughs throwing his head back and fanning himself with the money that's mysteriously piling at one side.)

_Oh, no. Tatsumi you are so evil, using poor Hisoka for your evil schemes._ Tsuzuki paced faster jabbing a fist into the air, getting beside himself, mortified that what his mind was conjuring could be anywhere near the truth…

"…But, what about Tsuzuki? Shouldn't we tell him?" Innocent Hisoka interceded and reach a hand for a pen to leave a message for Tsuzuki, but evil Tatsumi reached for Hisoka's lovely hand and retrieved it to keep him from jotting anything down that might give Tsuzuki a clue of what Tatsumi was up to with his Hisoka.

"That won't be necessary; this will only take a minute. I'm sure he'll know where to find us if the need rises." Tatsumi kept Hisoka's restrained hand and guided him toward the door. Hisoka with one last longing look back went with Tatsumi, unsuspecting because although Hisoka is an empath, Tatsumi can shield really well. Guiding him into the library where Tatsumi's henchmen awaited to trap their victim.

Once in, Tatsumi reveals his true intentions and Hisoka can't escape. He's trapped thanks to the Gushoshins' barrier. Hisoka tries to escape in vain. He finds a window he can crawl, but to no avail for the barrier repels him into the arms of awaiting Tatsumi.

Tatsumi insists Hisoka listen to logic and exhausted Hisoka can't run anymore, wishing his knight in shining armor were there to rescue him….

Tsuzuki imagines his Hisoka with dreamy, luminous eyes, half-glowing in the dim lights of the library, half-opened and with 'come-hither' eyelashes and a feverish blush, while Hisoka tries to cover his warm cheeks and Tatsumi with his imposing stature looms over innocent Hisoka, smirking and cornering his little angel.

"Wait Hisoka, we're coming…" Tsuzuki whimpers as he continues wearing out the tile. "Hurry Watari."

_Tsuzuki's imagination is getting the better of him… _

He can just imagine Tatsumi acting all logical and smoothing Hisoka's hair while his teen-angel blushes and re-directs his eyes away, still shy.

No doubt Tatsumi would tell him something to convince Hisoka how he would be the better candidate to fall in love since Tatsumi is so perfect and responsible and hard-working and how they have many things in common, like, like being on time and having perfect penmanship and how they can read books without pictures for long periods of time without getting dizzy from all the tiny letters.

Sure, Tatsumi has all that accounting that makes him good at squeezing blood out of a yen and Hisoka is so neat and organized and hardly eats or buys himself anything so he can be a frugal secretary's dream come true. And how Tsuzuki is not a one thing out of that list and how they are complete opposites of each other and how much Hisoka has to spend on tracking him down and how much trouble they always get into because of Tsuzuki and how they are always late because of Tsuzuki and always Tsuzuki's fault that stupid Muraki can get to Hisoka and use him as bait. And this kind of thing wouldn't happen if Hisoka was with Tatsumi. And what great cooking they could make seeing as how they both cooked really yummy.

Tsuzuki starts hyperventilating.

_Aaowwww!_

Tsuzuki throws himself on the floor, close to tears. Tearing his hair out and howling and whimpering like a sick dog.

Watari was not paying attention; too busy typing away on his computer. As soon as Tsuzuki started murmuring and whimpering, Watari reached into one of his drawers for a pair of earplugs and got back to work. He was on a mission.

Meanwhile, Hisoka was coming back to where he'd been spending much of his time along with Tatsumi and Terazuma. Terazuma felt much calmer to Hisoka than earlier before as he approached the table with a book under his arm.

"Found something interesting?" Tatsumi asked politely.

Hisoka frowned a bit looking at the book's spine and wasn't sure whether to share or not. "Hn."

"Philosophical Foundations of Quantum Field Theory."

Terazuma whistled.

Tatsumi ignored Terazuma and gave Hisoka his attention. Yes, it was a title that perhaps only Watari would find interesting. Why the man suddenly popped into his thoughts, he chose to ignore. "I didn't realize you were interested in Physics?"

"I'm not." Hisoka said calmly. "The title caught my attention and I thought it sounded interesting from the few pages I looked at." After no conversation was forced on the subject Hisoka decided to keep on moving. "I'll be with the Gushoshin to see if there are any more new books. Excuse me." He continued on…

Terazuma looked at the kid's retreating back and until he disappeared around the corner he made a comment. "If that psycho doctor had waited a while the kid could've turn into a Watari easy, except for the insane part."

Tatsumi silently agreed. Kurosaki was smart enough to be anything he wanted but he disagreed with the insane part. With a gift such as his, he would've gone insane eventually.

"On second thought," Terazuma corrected himself, "the kid lacks Watari's happy-go-lucky attitude, unless that was too the result of some early experiment with no antidote still today. No, the kid would still be pretty serious and responsible… more like you, Tatsumi-san."

Tatsumi took it as a compliment and quietly snickered, _how would Tsuzuki take it?_

Afterlife was bearable with a little help once in a while. He looked at the time and winced. Maybe the boy would do him a final favor and take Terazuma for a walk when he gets back. Terazuma was beginning to fidget again.

* * *

TBC... part 13 next _A/N:  
  
As soon as I can find the rest of my post-its to complete part 13.  
I'm missing a few here and there._


	13. part 13

Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 12  


Looks like I'm back.  
The question is, will I finish on time for Cristmas or will I go for another year around the globe...?

(Previously...)

Afterlife was bearable with a little help once in a while. He looked at the time and winced. Maybe the boy would do him a final favor and take Terazuma for a walk when he gets back. Terazuma was beginning to fidget again.

(Let's continue...)

* * *

The girls were running amuck… paper chains, popcorn, and strings of lights. 

Raising a fine twin set of eyebrows Yuma and Saya plotted.

They needed tall people to hang ornaments.

Yuma had hit the jackpot on decorations at the beginning of the year after all the celebrations were over and bought all she could carry along with her co-conspirator. Colorful metal spheres and lights galore.

Saya got lucky too with one of those hip-swaying Santas that dance when you get too close. She added it as a centerpiece decoration to the table they had set up for Wakaba's food.

On their way out to their kidnapping spree for a tall man, they collided with Shin and Kochou, from Summons, who immediately volunteered to help at hearing that Wakaba was cooking.

"Ha, who needs men," said Shin and got the afterlife scared out of her at the hands of a hip-swaying Santa.

The girls ended on a giggles attack at the frightening sight of Shin attempting to kill what scared her into her next death.

In the meantime…

Watari had done it. He hoped… for Tsuzuki's sanity, at least.

The man was driving himself crazy, all on his own, no help needed from his department.

Three different spell breakers held on hand, Watari got ready to collect his fallen friend from the pit of despair on his semi-stained and somewhat scorched floor and march right up to the library and punch a hole, figuratively.

"Tatsumi, you bastard," Tsuzuki whimpered disconsolately in his dismal corner.

In Tsuzuki's mind worse case scenario… Hisoka has bent to Tatsumi's intentions and after spending so much time locked in the library, Hisoka sees Tatsumi under a different light… brainwashed into giving in to Tatsumi.

He could see Tatsumi enjoying their first 'big' date with Tsuzuki abandoned and forgotten behind the glass window outside watching as Tatsumi devours sugary sweetness off Hisoka's caramel-licked lips. While Tsuzuki can't even touch his hair without getting a tooth loose from his jaw.

_Ouch! _

Tsuzuki could even feel it, right over his head, Hisoka's little knuckles leaving a small dent full of love from somewhere deep, deep, deep inside Hisoka. Tsuzuki loved Hisoka so much he'd turn even more of a masochist, just for him.

In his book, even negative attention is good attention as long as it comes from Hisoka. After all, Hisoka still has to touch him in order to hit him a good one…. unless he's throwing furniture or freshly sharpened pencils.

Hah, Tsuzuki liked Hisoka's pencils. They always stuck best to the ceiling.

"Tsuzuki get off your dark cloud and let's go get your boy." Watari knocked him over the head _again_.

Tsuzuki came out of his daze and looked up seeing Watari dangling something in front of him. His eyes grew two sizes and a smile appeared, at last. Gleaming with hope he jumped on his feet, birds singing his heart's joy.

Watari stepped back blinking in awe at the sudden change and only the cheery hooting of 003 could be heard from behind them.

…

_AURGH! _

Watari wanted to pull his hair.

Tsuzuki wanted to call Byakko and Suzaku, and destroy the library. The only thing that convinced him not to do such a drastic thing was that Hisoka would be pissed out of oblivion at him if he killed him under a falling boulder.

Fifteen minutes and many rabid curses later…

Tsuzuki returned to his appropriated corner to mop.

Watari… back to the drawing board.

…

In the confines of the library, the oblivious shinigamis roamed.

Hisoka had returned with an extra book that even Tatsumi felt the urge to pick through at such an attractive title (_Sokaiya: Extortion, Protection and the Japanese Corporation_).

"Just what compels you to pick books like these?"

Tatsumi blinked thinking he had spoken his thoughts, when he turned, Terazuma was browsing through the boy's selections.

Hisoka just shrugged and was about to sit and start reading when Tatsumi took his chance. Terazuma was beginning to irritate his shadows and he was getting clumsy with his calculations. The former cop was not doing anything, just sit there and stare at the walls covered with books, top to bottom, left to right. And his right foot couldn't stop shaking.

"Kurosaki-kun, would you be so kind as to accompany Terazuma to find a place with ample ventilation where he's able to smoke without starting a fire?"

Hisoka didn't question 'why him', it was obvious by the secretary's sitting stance, Hisoka also followed Terazuma's movements grouching himself up and feeling for his shirt pocket reassuredly, the outline of the box evident and the nagging feeling of jubilant eruption about to take place.

Hisoka groaned to himself—a noxious feeling—and followed Terazuma; an anxious cat ready for catnip, the uncontrollable giddiness breathing out of his skin while his face expression remained grouchy. Hisoka kept a tolerable distance lagging behind a bit.

Terazuma followed the same path as before looking for that window he and Tatsumi used before while hearing Hisoka mumbled something unintelligible with a raspy growl behind, and dying down as abruptly as it had started.

_He didn't need a nanny; he could smoke on his own_. Terazuma growled something too and kept it to a low murmur, after all, this is still a library. He laughed at himself for remembering that even subconsciously.

"The window," he found. "Here's where Tatsumi-san and…. And, where…?" Terazuma had turned around while talking to Hisoka but as he found out at mid-sentence Hisoka was no longer behind him.

"_Grrr_. Who needs a freaking nanny?!" He finally let out drawing his favorite suckers out. Terazuma had lighted his first stick and was in the process of enjoying it when he realized the kid wasn't coming. He knew he'd put some distance to keep himself from his smoking, but Hisoka always did what Tatsumi asked. After all, in the kid's eyes he was the only responsible adult he could depend on. Not even Chief Konoe fell close to the standard mark Hisoka held the Shokan secretary.

Sad to say, but Terazuma felt the same way.

During his musings Terazuma failed to notice how time lapsed. He was on his third stick when a hand grasped his shoulder firmly from behind and he jumped.

He felt himself shake all over as if a chill had run through. He hated that feeling of being busted for something like smoking, reaction he just couldn't get rid of since the days that he was in the force and smoking in the building was frowned upon by the nonsmokers. He always had to sneak to the roof just to get his fix… He wasn't the only one.

As he turned he expected the kid's mop of hair but in turn it was the blues of a tall brunette staring down at him. He hadn't notice how much taller Tatsumi was up close. Terazuma corrected, he knew Tatsumi was taller just not how much exactly compared to his own height. Usually he only dealt with the secretary through a customary distance never crossing personal space and across a type of furniture. Funny how he never noticed that was the case every time they were in a room together; be it a chair, table, and just now the enormous pile of files Tatsumi carried against his chest.

"Where's Kurosaki?" Tatsumi asked calmly, frowning just a bit, having already surveyed the obvious open surroundings.

"I don't know he didn't follow me all the way. The smoke bothers him." Terazuma shrug it off not caring either way. _Again, he didn't need a nanny_.

"He left his books behind." Tatsumi produced the two books from the top of the files he carried. "We should look for him and let him know the Gushoshin have given their Ok to leave the premises."

Terazuma jumped at the chance to get away, finally. He could run to Kanuki and see how the baking was going since he was supposed to help carry the loads. He volunteered and he'd been feeling a tad guilty all day for it.

"You should look for him while I check with the Gushoshin."

Terazuma deflated, he hated being cooped up in the library, it made him feel like a caged dog.

"Fine. He shouldn't be far. What's he got there, uhm, physics and I'm guessing economics? He will probably go for something like mysticism or literature just to balance the load."

"How can you tell?" Tatsumi asked quite curious at Terazuma's rare yet compelling insight into the boy's psyche, worthy of Watari's intellect, who had yet to decipher the boy.

"Have you even seen him eat? Everything balanced and in small quantities, he's desk is ordered the same way…" Terazuma left the rest blank for Tatsumi to fill in the obvious. Terazuma explained further. "How do you think Tsuzuki gets to his nerves but he has yet to kill or get rid of him? The lazy bum is too much, of everything, but in small quantities he can handle him just fine. Hm, Kanuki says is fen shui or yin-yang, some crap like that."

Well, Tatsumi was impressed by Terazuma's detective skills.

Terazuma allowed himself a bit of smugness.

"I had no idea you watched him so closely."

Terazuma bulked at the comment, _no, it wasn't like that_.

"Hey, I'm not like that. Most of the stuff comes from Kanuki who likes to get into everyone's business. After that it's easy to notice—after someone points it out for you." He retorted.

True, Tatsumi considered, now that he knew that, he'll probably be looking for it in Kurosaki's behavior; when something is too much, the boy tends to push back. But not everything, Tatsumi considered further, only the things he doesn't like, or make him uncomfortable. Some things, Hisoka just can't get enough. Tatsumi smirked thinking of Tsuzuki again.

Considering how Hisoka had first started, the boy had loosened up quite a bit, much like he had first done when he first started working here too. And he blamed it all on that buffoon he had once called partner and now his long-time friend.

"Well, then you know where to start. Tell him I'll have his books in my office. I need to talk to Chief Konoe before he checks himself out for tonight. Once he starts singing I might not get another chance."

Both shinigamis made a face. They knew how much Konoe liked karaoke. He'd probably be singing and drinking all night and hogging the mike all for himself.

--

* * *

TBC... part 14 next 

_A/N: And before anyone asks why I stuck a Yuma and Saya scene here...I don't know, if I ever find my missing notes, I'll know the string of reason; otherwise it may just be random authoress attack of insanity. And, it's was kind of funny in my head.  
Now, if I can just remember why I even thought it...._

By the way, I'm starting my own site, please visit. Slowly but surely I'll eventually end up doing all my work there before I post anywhere else.  
I'll also use it as my testing ground with a beta section.  
FYI: restrictions need not apply.

mikarin.us


	14. part 14

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 13

_Finally and update.   
I was supposed to post this two weeks ago. Many things got on the way.   
Sorry for the delay. Here it is._

(Previously...)

Both shinigamis made a face. They knew how much Konoe liked karaoke. He'd probably be singing and drinking all night and hogging the mike all for himself.

(Let's continue...)

* * *

Tatsumi checked himself out of the library carrying along the two books Kurosaki had picked as reading material. _Some light reading_. He remembered the first book he ever saw the boy carry around. It was thicker than him and just as heavy—all about demons, courses and demonic possessions—an illustrated encyclopedia of sorts. He felt consumed with curiosity now that he had heard Terazuma's observations on their youngest employee. And the Sokaiya book, he believed that he would like it, maybe some ideas might spring forth on how to increase funding for their little department. He smirked quietly, hoping that Hisoka might take his time in picking them up from his office. It should give him sufficient time to browse some of its pages. 

Watari was in a mad run with his new set of barrier braking concoctions when the heavy set door to the library swung open.

_Splat! _

Tsuzuki balked behind his friend, trying to break before crashing against him. He tried walking backwards and skated on the floor falling backwards.

_Ow, right on his ass, too. _

Tatsumi walked out noticing how the door suddenly got stuck as he was exiting; curiously he peeked and saw Tsuzuki attempting like crazy to fall back before running into the door. What he had missed was the blonde hair sticking out in odd directions and liquids running down a leg pant and a few scrolls and charms rolling out.

Before he could speak in concern to his two coworkers it came to him that the only reason these two could be here together was one very pretty shinigami that had one of his coworkers making cartwheels all over the office to attract his attention.

Tatsumi sighted quietly and shook his head lightly feeling a relapse of the previous headache from earlier, after his office had been desecrated.

Tatsumi simply said, "I believe you are a bit late Tsuzuki-san, Watari."

Watari dislodged himself from the wooded door holding his face with both hands.

"Tat-umi ou werc, i-e too uatshh pho in-omin' traph-hic."

Tatsumi pursed his lips trying to suppress a smile from breaking free, roughly translated Watari had said, 'Tatsumi you jerk, try to watch for incoming traffic'.

"I ting uo wok mie noose."

"Aa. Tsuzuki, what about you? Anything broken?"

Tsuzuki shook his head, more concerned for Watari watching him from the floor as a child would another, empathizing with his friend's pain and about to break into sobbing cry too.

Tatsumi shifted his paperwork on his arms to free a hand. Balancing the load on his hip Tatsumi grabbed Watari by the wrist and tried to guide him at best he could back to the lab where he could help set his nose straight before it could start mending bone and cartilage. He would hate having to break it on purpose next time just to set it in place.

Tsuzuki suddenly remembered why they were there in the first place and was undecided to either follow Watari and Tatsumi or wait for who else was coming out of the library next. He was still resentful Tatsumi had spent all that time with his partner in Tsuzuki's place.

Tatsumi looked back when Tsuzuki couldn't make up his mind, looking back and forth from the library doors to his two coworkers. Of course Tsuzuki was there for only one reason, he'd finally figured out where the young blond was and came to do some damage—costly damage. Sad and tired, he looked at both co-conspirators to commit him to the loony bin and resigned to his fate, Tatsumi nodded as in agreement with himself and…

"If you're looking for Kurosaki-kun, he should be out soon. Terazuma is looking for him to let him know we're free to go. He'll be looking for his books and I have them."

"Terazuma?!" Tsuzuki said incredulously. "I'll wait." A mix of over-protectiveness and a bit of jealousy helped make up his mind. "What the Hell was Terazuma doing there any way?" He said gruffly.

Tatsumi answered already moving with his invalid friend that was making his weight known on his shoulder, over-dramatizing his injury. "He was the first trapped in there since mid-morning." Tatsumi and Watari went round the corner leaving Tsuzuki settling for the floor in front of the library doors.

Watari was in cloud nine, heavenly hanging from the arm of Tatsumi while he dripped blood all over the floors, leaving a lovely trail. It hurt, but he didn't care. Until he and Tatsumi were about to pass the threshold to his lab.

He attempted to launch himself into a kiss under one of the mistletoes throughout the offices, with the exception of the library, but he forgot he was still holding onto his nose. Tatsumi managed to evade him, trying to salvage what was left of his suit jacket that was already stained with Watari's blood and Watari crashed against the opposing wall.

_Oow! _

"Look up and let go of your nose." Tatsumi ordered rather coldly.

A moment later he felt some gauze being pressed against his face.

"_Awww!_"

And something wet wiping his face around the injured area.

"It's beyond me how you always manage to do damage everywhere you go. What were you planning to do to the library Watari?" Tatsumi asked with a warning yet scolding tone in his voice that told the scientist he was skating on thin ice.

He couldn't talk very well with his head bent back and a nose bleed coagulating, so he simply attempted to laugh and find a bit of humor on how he was going to work himself out of getting his funding cut in half.

"I hope you were not attempting to blow the library. We do not need you also getting banned from the library. With Tsuzuki it really makes no difference… but you are a different story. _Sometimes_ you do need to the access for legitimate work." Tatsumi made him tilt his head back further to work on his nose. "I, for one, am grateful for the Gushoshin's bright idea to protect the library by raising a barrier for today. I cannot emphasize enough how much it would've cost to rebuild it. Not to mention it provided me with the peace and quiet to greatly advance in the paperwork that needed to be done, especially with the help of Terazuma and Kurosaki who were there while trying to find a safe haven from rabid fangirls and a certain gender-changing fanboy and his guinea pig."

"Fanboy?!"

Watari lifted his face out of Tatsumi's care to reproach the name-calling.

"Ah, so you can talk now."

Watari's nose was beginning to mend nicely, red and purple around the bruised flesh, just like the storybook red-nosed reindeer Tsuzuki was so fond of watching on Christmas day.

"Thanks Tatsumi, you're my hero." Watari shined his honey-brown eyes up at Tatsumi clasping his hands against the man's ruined jacket and rubbing a cheek against the brunet.

"Idiot." Tatsumi looked away covering the little discomposure he felt every time Watari gave him the same adoring puppy-look that made him look more like 003.

Strange urges like ruffling of feathers, or in Watari's case his golden mane, were near insuppressible. _Ah, but practice, indeed, makes perfect._

Tatsumi fixed his glasses and turned back to give Watari a good talking to for the near disaster he almost caused to the library.

Back on track, Terazuma walked out of the library determined that this time the doors would open and he would be free. The kid wasn't in anymore and the Gushoshin couldn't be happier to have him out of their sanctuary. He couldn't wait to step outside and do some damage control with Wakaba. Although she would never reproach his absence, he felt it was necessary to at least apologize, explain and make it up to her. He hated lying and although this had been inevitable it was still his fault for falling for it and getting himself trapped with two very stoic characters and unable to chain-smoke his away into sanity.

Swinging the doors open he came short of running down another person.

Looking up, he couldn't help himself… He growled.

Purple eyes were staring at him extremely up close—cut down two inches and they could be kissing. And knowing his older coworker they just could…if they didn't HATE their guts.

The mutual dislike for each other was not lost across the bridge of their noses discharging telepathic insults.

He hated Tsuzuki right now for looking down at him. The moronic waste of space was taking up nearly a head above his.

_He was nearly as tall as Tatsumi-san_.

He was looking down at him with his 'I'm older, therefore, wiser, so you owe me respect'.

Tsuzuki on the other hand was trying to figure out if Terazuma was just blocking his path or hiding Hisoka. He would too, just to see him squirm.

"Where is he?" Tsuzuki tried to keep a calm if fake pleasantness about him. Squinting his eyes in pretend half moons of delight, he didn't even bother to elaborate on 'who' he was talking about; they both knew there was only one person he followed like a faithful dog.

"Long gone." Terazuma answered in monotone.

Tsuzuki's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. And grinded his teeth—to qualm the urge to knock his junior coworker into next year—but Hisoka came first.

Later, he would have a chance to pick on his younger coworker. _He-he_, that was always fun.

He squint his eyes at Terazuma, pleasantness clearly vanishing and irritation setting in, "what did you do with him? He hasn't come out."

Terazuma simply shrugged and tried to side-stepped… but Tsuzuki blocked, pointedly making himself into a wall by raising his fists against his hips and angling his elbows out like a puffed up bird.

Terazuma was beginning to crave another cigarette just to keep his calm and his hands busy from reaching out and killing his nearly centennial coworker. "I have things to do, Tsuzuki-_san._" He emphasized the honorific to antagonize Tsuzuki.

"Tell me what you did with my partner, Hajime-c_han_."

Terazuma twitched at the use of '–chan' honorific after his name. Only Wakaba was allowed to get away with it. She is his senior partner, after all.

In spite, Terazuma thought of a good way to piss Tsuzuki off, if he could get the older man to throw the first punch, he wouldn't be as severely punished for starting a fight. He could always plead self-defense and Wakaba wouldn't give him that drowned-cat, disappointed look, he hated to get, even when she never said anything other than offer him support and her cooking for comfort.

"I ate him."

Now it was Tsuzuki who growled at Terazuma, who perversely flaunted his smugness at his clever little retort. Terazuma went further…he smacked his lips with a contented tummy rub.

"Tasted just like chicken." Terazuma smirked and seeing Tsuzuki's eyes darken with what could only be anger.

"Freak." Tsuzuki snarled.

"But at least I'm not a moron. Moron!" Terazuma spat back.

They were both beginning to square off, fingers twitching on Tsuzuki, and fists taut on each side of Terazuma, begging for the excuse.

"_Grrr_, I don't have time for this!" Tsuzuki relented, somewhat disappointed, but he really couldn't. Hisoka came first. Damn. "Fine. Just tell me where my partner is…" he whined jeering at Terazuma's eardrums to the point of bleeding.

"Flew out the window when he felt you coming," Terazuma side-stepped his superior and paused. "If you do find him, tell him, Tatsumi has his books."

Tsuzuki swung the wooden door to the library open and came to a halt as a feathered hand smothered him.

"Tsuzuki-san," squeaked a very familiar voice.

Tsuzuki groaned. He forgot. Head hanging low and summoning his perfected _kicked-puppy, can't find my owner, is raining cold outside_.

* * *

TBC... part 15 next

_A/N: I'm aming to finish this by Christmas. Wish me luck.   
I'm going to need it._


	15. part 15

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 14

_Finally and update.  
Unfortunately it's really late. Sorry I've been gone for so long. Check out my LJ for my ranting, there will be more coming. I know it._

(Previously...)

Tsuzuki groaned. He forgot. Head hanging low and summoning his perfected _kicked-puppy, can't find my owner, is raining cold outside_.

(Let's continue...)

* * *

Tatsumi headed out in search of a mop for Watari. He was going to make the blonde clean up his mess as punishment for attempting to cause quantifiable damages to the library. Konoe should technically still be in his office... technically. 

As he stepped onto the office he realized with horror that in his absence many things had gone bad.

At least in his book, all that could go wrong had.

Predictably enough—brow twitching unconsciously...

His arms dropped and in his mental lapse files flooded the floor.

The office wasn't 'his' office anymore.

The floor wasn't 'his' floor.

Desks had been pushed aside against one wall. Chairs arranged to the sides and decorations of lights, evergreen and ribbons hanged from several places off the ceiling.

If ever anyone had been able to make Tatsumi gasp in horror, Watari was not here to see it and snap shots to later post on public bulletin board. In charge of all the commotion that was still going on were the twin devils.

He must have been frozen on the spot for over a minute before anyone noticed that he was there, glued to the floor, papers all around.

The office had been 'defiled'.

"Gyah! Tsuzuki-san you're not allowed here...EVER!" Gushoshin started flapping around trying to avoid him to step any further.

"But I can't go," he whimpered, dropping his head down and peering at one twin brother through his bangs where glimpses of pitiful gloomy eyes glisten with building tears.

"There's no one left here," came the other twin brother carrying his laptop around. "If you're looking for your partner, he is no longer here."

"But, but when— He didn't come out." Tsuzuki whined dropping his shoulders for further gloominess effect. "Can't I go in and just take a quick look around?"

The older Gushoshin set his equipment down and emphatically said, "NO." Despite the teary-eyed puppy eyes Tsuzuki displayed for emphasis.

Younger Gushoshin shook his feathers, "you know the rules Tsuzuki-san, and we will not allow you to go beyond this point. It was bad enough the last time you were allowed access. We were without a library for a year."

"Not to mention, how hard it was to get the budget for it," said older Gushoshin morosely. "Regardless, Tsuzuki-san, Hisoka-san is no longer here. I just came from checking around for disarray and aside from us, the library is now empty, and as of fifteen minutes ago, officially closed."

"Aah...eh?" Tsuzuki was about to throw himself into pleading tears when something caught his attention—_officially closed_?

"Gushoshin, are you closing for the holidays?" Tsuzuki asked somewhat surprised, scratching an ear in that endearing Tsuzuki fashion when he was confused or lost.

As far as he knew the library never closed unless... well, he had something to do with it. Or there was something of dire importance that required the twin set to work together in a case, although that too involved him. Tsuzuki frowned, his sector must have a hellmount or something, he and Hisoka attracted all the perverted weirdoes along with their bastardized plans for taking over their bodies and anything else they can try.

"We have to close," said younger Gushoshin.

"That's right; we're very behind in our work."

"No thanks to certain lazy people who can't turn in their work on time." Both Gushoshin were giving Tsuzuki evil glares.

"Ah, look at the time." Tsuzuki checked his watch stepping back towards the entrance doors, "so I'll see you at the party. I have to go find my partner now—ha-ha," he stepped through the entrance and walked fast, just as the Gushoshin were about to launch into a list of complains regarding his increasing pile of late paper work from four to six months behind. Tsuzuki realized as he walked that if it weren't for his angel of a partner, those months could easily be years. They had been years, actually. Even if Hisoka did use excessive methods—in occasion cruel and unusual—but sometimes Hisoka also took pity and took some of the workload for himself, inconspicuously of course.

"Ah-ha!" Tsuzuki stopped suddenly, a knowing smile finally brightening his eyes. The only place, other than the library Hisoka likes to hide from him is that rackety place he likes to call home. "Well Soka-chan, that's not much of a hiding place," Tsuzuki giggled like a fangirl with backstage passes to her favorite boyband, "not if you want to be found."

Tsuzuki was nearly skipping and bouncing with happiness on his way to Hisoka's home-sweet-home... and only Tsuzuki knew where Hisoka liked to hide his extra key, although only Tatsumi had been entrusted with such a secret, Hisoka had yet to know he knew. The precious times Tsuzuki had invited himself into Hisoka's home, he'd crack a window open to convince his little partner into believing he'd accidentally left it open like it happened in the rare occasion. But what Hisoka doesn't know (or suspect) won't hurt him (unless he has proof), then it will hurt, a lot.

Tatsumi's vein was popping out. Grinding his teeth together, he untwined the cord that hooked to the speakers on the karaoke machine. The Chief had long since stopped listening to Tatsumi and moved their conversation from work to songs. While behind him, arrivals from other departments were beginning to worm their way into their floor and one bottle of wine lay empty by a desk.

Someone started early.

Tsuzuki was missing, though. He had seen him and in fact reprimanded him for running in the halls, risking bodily injury to unsuspecting passers-by.

Fortunately, Watari was busy and away from the scene or else, accidents may have already tolled a few victims. This was such occasion that the unsuspecting victims from other departments made for fine test subjects, unsuspecting and able, unspoiled from consecutive try-outs at the hands of the local mad scientist. Who dose some drinks with his special recipe—like last's end-of-the-week Golden Week where he introduced Sangria as a party starter. Five people changed to various shades of beet before the catalyst agent was found.

This time, Watari hadn't had time to meddle in the food or drink. Attempting to break into the library had served to distract said blonde, _who better be cleaning his mess if he wants to have a tenth of his share on the budget for his lab_.

Tatsumi was still vague on why 'they'—meaning his department—had to have a Christmas party when the end of the year party was the important one to celebrate the New Year, and that was usually an affair the Count at the Castle of Candles usually splurged on in order to grope as many tipsy pretty people he could in one night—much like his Sakura tea parties.

Fusing over fake garland greens and tripping over them, Tatsumi also came to the startling realization that not only had he been suckered into hooking up the karaoke system—found in a bargain sale and later refurbished by certain blonde—but that he hadn't been the only one. Other—considerably tall men—had been 'talked' into hanging arrangements. He recognized a couple of men from the Health department. Watari's talking, no doubt, laden with a heavy dose of Yuma and Saya's flirting to secure willing cooperation.

Speaking of the twin devils... Had he not specifically said no cross-department parties? _They were expensive_. And on that matter, where were they? The noise, he noticed, seemed low-key. As opposed to their normally high voltage peeps and squeaks of energy spikes at random intervals.

He closed his eyes rubbing at the ping of pain right between his eyes as he thought of the mischief all his co-workers could so very easily slip into, willing or not...Yes, including Kurosaki, for he was at the barrel's end of quite a few in his department alone.

Tsuzuki frown. It was far too quiet, even for his partner.

The interior of Hisoka's bedroom felt cold and lonely. Tsuzuki even checked the bathroom. Right now a chill crept up his spine standing in such a cold floor.

It felt like such a ghost town... _Did any one live here?_

Tsuzuki swallowed a large block of ice and began to panic...

"Hisoka," he called out.

Looking around Tsuzuki wondered if Hisoka wasn't playing hide-and-seek...after all, he could be really antisocial. Partly, he could understand, partly, Tsuzuki also wanted Hisoka having a good time alongside him. There wasn't anyone he'd rather share than with Hisoka, his favorite dessert—hot, cold, rich and sweet.

Tsuzuki was feeling seriously dejected.

Nothing under the bed, the closet, the cupboards were near empty and the fridge, not even a pudding cup.

He dropped to his knees wailing through walls and scrapping the tips of his toes against the floor.

"Hi-so-ka-chaaan, how meeean! Cooome baack!"

He ran a hand through his hair pushing his bangs out of his eyes. _Just where had Hisoka chosen to hide?_

"Where are you Soka-chaaan!"

Tsuzuki's plea went unanswered with his voice echoing through the small home.

Hisoka hated any kind of social gatherings, it made him feel overwhelmed and tired, all those emotions although happy were often amplified by alcohol, and while he could tolerate the happy emotions now after being partnered with Tsuzuki for a while, they could still tax him, especially where a drunken Tsuzuki and Watari in karaoke night could be found.

Tsuzuki sat on the middle of Hisoka's kitchen... prying his head open for a clue to where the next best hiding place for Hisoka could be...

* * *

TBC... part 16 next _A/N: A warning--I personally am not happy with this chapter. But this is just me. I have stared at it enough and still don't know how else to put it out. I'm going to chuck it up to necessary evil and learn to live with it.  
I've been having a very interesting year, too much work.  
I have no clue when I'll actually finish this story. I have a number of others I've been simultaneously working on, and I'm just hoping I'll finish this one so I can post the others.  
Unless I finish one of the others before this one. Which I have, just check out my LJ, my site or can't post it here at FFnet due to it's lemonny goodness._ _Chapter 16 coming next...also another miracle. _


	16. part 16

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 15

_Update, again. oh, micracle or miracles...she's done it again.  
Yay me. Unfortunately also really late.  
But I give you a glimse of Hisoka at the very end. A tiny glimse, just to peak your curiosity._  
_I know, bad me._

(Previously...)

Tsuzuki sat on the middle of Hisoka's kitchen… prying his head open for a clue to where the next best hiding place for Hisoka could be…

(Let's continue...)

* * *

"…_Bubble…Bubble…_

_--Someone's in trouble_

--_True love's kiss _

_--Must be a double…"_

… "AHH!" both said in unison and giggled over their rhyme.

The murky white concoction was near ready and as soon as Hajime_-chan_ came back they would be on their way to get started. Simmering was a second batch, also dubbed the backup plan, because no one could resist 'hot' apple cider—energized with brandy.

Overlapping love-love candy dream sequences forming in their minds as it would go down once Hisoka drank enough of one of their two batches of inebriated potions…

_Ha-ha, take that Watari!_

_By the way thanks for the recipe._

_We improvised…you'd be proud._

But getting off subject, Yuma and Saya looked at each other dreamily over their wide and filled to the brim boiling pot as they stirred and broke into a giggle that as it got louder it tore from its hinges into an eerie and disturbing cackle.

And for the final ingredient—

Suma and Saya removed their lovingly prepared 'backup plan' and set it on the counter for…

The bottle of brandy landed nearly into the trashcan.

They couldn't afford Hjime_-chan_ discovering the proof of their machinations and ruining the punch line for the night. He could be such a party-pooper sometimes. His fine and sensitive nose could still detect the hints of alcohol that laced both special batches but they counted on Wakaba to keep him occupied all through the night in order to prevent him from divulging their 'secret'.

Exchanging knowing glances once again, all they could do was wait for the results of their labor of love to set and test their final product.

"Well?" spoke Yuma first.

"I think…" Saya lowered the ladle, "I can't taste it." She smacked her lips together and then brought a hand over her mouth and blew hard while smelling her breath. No, she shook her head after not detecting the smell of alcohol.

But it was apple-cinnamon-y.

Yuma was close enough to her face to smell her breath.

"More?"

"Do we?" Saya's voice sang with unbridled excitement—fingers itching.

"We bought plenty." Yuma turned about the kitchen to reveal a full bottle of brandy, unopened.

"Maybe and extra full cup, after all, while we can't escape Hajime_-chan_'s nose we don't want to tip Tatsumi-san or he might not have any fun."

"Ah, so true. He needs a little excitement in his life." Yuma sighed imagining the possibilities of an unbridled secretary at the throes of unimaginable fun.

An inexplicable evil cold ran up and down a certain secretary's back…even Tatsumi's shadow shivered.

"And Watari is so full of surprises." Saya piped up excitedly along the same lines as her partner's thoughts.

"Surprises are the spice of life." Yuma quipped, wiggling her eyebrows conspirationally.

"And maybe we can talk Hisoka-kun into wearing our present before midnight?" Saya mused cheeks hot with excitement that she had to rub them a bit with the tips of her fingers.

"For Tsuzuki," Yuma reminded her partner in crime winking at her cockily.

"Of course," Saya agreed blush still in place.

Watari carried on hand a last minute brainstorm he decided to try out this year.

It had come to him as he was laboriously scrubbing the mess he'd done earlier. And it was meant to make the ambient atmosphere more _together_.

Of course, this had been a cinch to pull at the last minute. He just had to melt plenty of wax to create his innovative festive candle-lights with the sweet aroma of bay leaves, in this case.

He'd only been able to gather enough wax for three tall candles but it would be enough, just to perk up the air around the room.

Lucky, the food was all laid out and people had begun to gather and help out in the last minute details. He spotted Tatsumi begrudgedly helping Konoe. Setting down a candle by a window and lighting it up, he gave the other two to a friendly chemist he's invited and winked at him mischievously letting him know to expect a pleasant surprise. Excitedly, his new friend took notice and wanted to dig for more information, but Watari simply left him with his 'wait-and-see' explanation and moved onto bigger prey. On his way he grabbed a wine bottle in a lovely shade of red and a couple of plastic cups to start—share some holiday sheer.

While making his way to his target, Konoe intercepted him with a happy 'tahnk-you' and left the blonde short of a glass. Obviously Konoe had already started participating in the 'holiday cheer' his bastardized English was beginning to sound like Tsuzuki's.

Having a single glass and a bottle of wine didn't deterred Watari in the least, _the best to share an indirect kiss_, he thought.

Tatsumi noticed the small exchange between Watari and Konoe as his boss got started in his fourth aperitif.

"Yo, Tatsumi," waved Watari animatedly, bottle on hand.

Tatsumi eyed the bottle warily for any signs of tampering, especially since it was now open and he did not witnessed the blonde had he tried to taint its contents.

"How about a glass of this," Watari turned the bottle to read the label, his easy grin growing wider and tipping the bottle to quickly sniff, "lovely cherry smelling wine. _Can't read Spanish_." He laughed openly.

He decided to hold off trusting Watari's open-friendliness, for the moment.

"Maybe later," he dismissed the offer. "I prefer to open my own bottles," he said as an after thought.

"Mou, you don't trust me Tatsumi." The blonde whined faking hurt and wide puppy eyes. "You know I would never try to experiment on you." He blurted out in a feigned tragic sing-along voice.

"Not since I endangered your budget you don't." Tatsumi murmured turning around to hook his last cable to an outlet and giving the blonde an ample view of his back and posterior as he bent.

Watari frowned to the implications of Tatsumi's distrust and tipped his head as Tatsumi hinted on his better assets. Distractedly he swung the red tinted bottle and tipped the contents into his glass, drinking without care.

Tatsumi not missing the blonde's actions as he returned to face his co-worker, noticed him drinking and waited for the blonde to show any sign of realization in case he had inadvertedly drank something he shouldn't have tested on himself. Eyeing him warily, for the blonde was not aside from testing upon himself in occasion. He was about to ask Watari on the taste of his drink when from a side door entered a usually disheveled brunet, flushed-faced, agitated and in a rush throwing the door aside and leaving a dent on the wall as the knob hit it. Said brunet stood hovering at the door nearly jumping as he flexed on the balls of his feet along wildly about his surroundings looking desperately for something.

Tsuzuki had been on the run for a while since he upturned Hisoka's home looking for his elusive partner. The search of the surrounding area and seating grounds around the area had been negative and the roof of the building was empty. He even made it a point to check the treetops just in case Hisoka had decided that this year he would work a little harder at playing hide-and-seek. On his way from the building's rooftop he wondered if Hisoka had dared stumble into the basement. Though he'd never gone there, it was said that only a few ventured, and so would Hisoka hoping no one would follow. After all, on the way down there, one had to go through the accounting department. Obviously, only Tatsumi was brave enough to visit so he hoped he could get some help.

Eyeing his bewildered coworker, Tatsumi and Watari looked at each other momentarily before noticing that through another door the twin disaster team arrived with indentured mule trotting behind, arms loaded.

Undecided to which side of the room to move, he decided that Terazuma could handle the job of keeping the girls from wrecking havoc, Tatsumi was wary to send Watari to the Hokkaido partners. Watari, like him motives, always carried ulterior consequences.

Making his way toward the desperate looking Tsuzuki, Watari trotted behind Tatsumi since it looked far more interesting than what the girls were up to, though tempting it was to peek at the contents Terazuma was carrying and maybe finding out if they needed a little perking up.

Tsuzuki looked like he was at the brink of peeing on himself the way he kept dancing on the heels and balls of his feet swaying, bending and unbending his knees, clenching and unclenching his hands and swinging himself left and right trying to catch a glimpse of something, squinting his eyes as if wishing he had X-ray vision.

"Tsuzuki, are you loosing something?"

Watari worded his question to be interpreted in a number of ways, thought Tatsumi frowning at Tsuzuki who eyed them but shifted his sight around the room still.

"Um, Watari have you guys seen Hisoka?"

_Ah so that's it_. Watari and Tatsumi had the very same thought and made the very same gesture as they both lifted an eyebrow—same side of the face—and glanced at their fellow shinigami, currently alone.

"No. Not since I left the library." Tatsumi responded wondering himself if the boy had indeed left, or had instead sought sanctuary from Gushoshin who'd planed to take advantage of the party and closed for the 'holidays' as they didn't believe on this particular holiday to get some much needed work done.

"Sorry Tsuzuki, _bon_ hasn't shown up here." Watari commented looking up to make sure he hadn't missed him as he roamed the halls with a mop earlier or thought that perhaps he'd seen him leave the library much later than intended when he was out there cleaning his earlier, um, failed experiment. "I didn't see him around the library either."

"I've looked everywhere." Tsuzuki dropped his shoulders, lost and bewildered without his leash holder.

"Have you—"

"Yes. Everywhere."

Before Watari could suggest a place to look, Tsuzuki gave him a vehement reply.

"I even begged Gushoshin to let me take a peek at the back of the library, just in case, but they said that no one was back there anymore. Gushoshin made sure since they closed for the holidays." Tsuzuki's wondering eye was slowly dropping pace and lingering more onto the faces in front of him. "He isn't home. Even looked under the bed, the rooftops, the treetops, the lake, but he's no where. I wonder if he might have gone to the basement." He looked at Tatsumi hopefully, nearly wagging his nonexistent tail, begging with is eyes.

Tatsumi knew that look. _Augh, he felt for the man, he really did._

Watari was mimicking that look, empathizing with his favorite guinea pig.

Tatsumi closed his eyes warding off a potential headache and knowing well that in order to prevent and even bigger one he'd need to help Tsuzuki before he drove crazy nearly everyone on the floor as others will take notice and want to help and turn the holiday party into a hunting party for the reclusive boy to bring him out in the open.

Tatsumi shivered inwardly thinking what would become of the boy if that were to happen, again.

He'd seen the results from Valentine's Day. He'd order the boy solitary confinement in the medical ward for the rest of the week in order to help his psyche reassert itself. And was forced to recall any work they might have been in the middle of working—which surprisingly wasn't much in open cases as it was paperwork for previous closed ones.

And Tsuzuki planted his sorry self at Tatsumi's office howling his woes and racking his nerves at the unfairness of his punishment, away from his beloved little partner. Whom Tsuzuki claim needed him to feed him happiness, or pie, if only Tatsumi in his tyranny would order his shadows from inflicting harm to anyone that wasn't Watari or Tatsumi himself from approaching the ward.

"Very well," Tatsumi said in a defeated yet imposing with authority tone. "However," Tatsumi warned lifting a hand to stop any whining that will ensue shortly, "if we find him and he refuses to be persuaded to attend the festivities he can do so and be free for the rest of the night. No buts about it, Tsuzuki," He darted his cool gaze upon Tsuzuki and then moved it steadily toward the blonde to assert his authority, "Watari. His choice," he warned, knowing full well he couldn't count himself so lucky but then, he wasn't an empath.

_Thank the Gods. _Tatsumimused to himself. _Or he'd go crazy._

While Tatsumi counted his lucky stars, Watari was rounding the brunet and pinched a cheek, between his index and middle-finger knuckles like a crab.

A yelp later.

Tatsumi noted Tsuzuki rubbing his redden cheek and frowning at Watari's antics.

"What was that for?" The brunet whined rubbing fervently at his face.

"Just checking how cold it's gotten outside." Watari cracked a laugh boisterously, catching the attention of a few. "But just thinking about the cold gave me the idea that perhaps Bon hides in plain sight."

Tsuzuki eyed the blonde scientist like he'd grown a second head. _Where do these ideas spring from?_

Watari brought the menacing pinching hand as his thought processed concentrating on rubbing his chin. "Have you checked in your office to see if he's not barricaded there taking a nap, knowing full well this would be the best place where you'd never think to look."

The light that had been missing from Tsuzuki suddenly went ablaze in his eyes as Watari got glomped by an overenthusiastic inu-Tsuzuki. Had Watari been holding pie, he'd be history's most legendary Shinigami in Tsuzuki's eyes.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you…" Tsuzuki appeared to be humping Watari's leg.

Tatsumi promptly forced Tsuzuki off Watari as the blonde began to turn into a lovely pale blue.

Watari coughed weakly as the obstruction around the neck was relieved. Tatsumi calmly arranged Tsuzuki to the side and made the motion to follow the path to Tsuzuki and Kurosaki's office.

Somewhere Hisoka was experiencing a very bizarre dream. He couldn't recall hallucinations in his dreams or nightmares but it was different.

No Muraki—nevertheless disturbing in itself—preferable, though, not by much, and if he had a choice, neither.  
Hisoka furrowed his defined eyebrows, wincing in his sleep as sensations accosted him.

_How unpleasant! _His last thought fleetingly came and went. _If he had to have a nightmare, he'd rather be chased by a creampuff than be molested by a pervert, any number of them_.

* * *

TBC... part 17 next  
_A/N: My beta reader needs a spanking.  
My crazy self is in love with a man's man and having a hell of a time torturing him with the misteries of Yaoi unrated. And the result is in my account and my site. I just don't think I can do the same to Hisoka as I like to do to Naruto(has longer nails). Tsuzuki just too gentle a soul, who will take his very long time to get his well-deserved Hisoka yumminess because of the emotional booby-traps along the way._  
_I'm seriously loony. I'm contemplating a Muraki-centric story called 'A day in a doctor's life it's not always a walk in the park', or something to that effect. I could torture him with innane amounts of stupidity during a typical day at the office.  
__Yes! I welcome ideas.  
If you've been having a bad day, use Muraki for stress relief (punch bag) and tell me how you would go about sharing your misery with him. __I wonder, if I stick his head in the ice box, will he feel better or will I only give him freeze burn?---not that anyone will notice._

Till next year.  
HAPPY NEW YEAR!


	17. part 17

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 16

_Happy Holidays...2 years late, really late. Better late than never. Life is on the way, and Life is fun.  
__if there is anyone out there... there is hope and thanks._

(Previously...)

_How unpleasant! _His last thought fleetingly came and went. _If he had to have a nightmare, he'd rather be chased by a creampuff than be molested by a pervert, any number of them_.

(Let's continue...)

* * *

_Well…?! _

The field trip down the basement had been, uh, enlightening and traumatic.

Watari and Tsuzuki climbed on the elevator very quietly. They looked at each other, then the back head of Tatsumi who climbed last and pressed the button back to their floor keeping a very calm and impassive demeanor.

An uneasy silence settled in the elevator during the ride.

Tsuzuki portrayed stunned, opaque eyes and slightly open lips in awe. His clothing was more in disarray than before. While Watari had wisps of hair hanging by the front of his face and his usual slightly singed lab coat somewhat mangled onto his shoulders. A collar that was tucked skewed with a corner flap inside. His owlish eyes open slightly more than usually missing the mischief and fun to the usually whimsical curve to his lips now flat.

Tatsumi refrained from saying anything during the elevator trip. Nor did he turn around to face his comrades. His lips were pressed firmly suppressing any kind of emotion. But the look on his eyes shone with what it could be misconstrued as extreme smugness, feeling the dual set of eyes behind him. His companions looked rattled enough, as far as he could see through the hazy reflection against the elevator doors.

Watari and Tsuzuki once again exchanged glances from the corners of their eyes, as they made contact; they broke it off immediately and looked down to their shoes trying not to think anymore after arriving back into the warm bosom of their welcoming office floor.

Party at full swing, Wakaba carried a couple of cups and blinking at the returning trio she noted something strange. The somber aura around the three was most disturbing, Coming to a halt, she eyed Tatsumi first, then, behind the imposing man, saying nothing at all she simply extended the war liquids to her colleagues… Returning her eyes to Tatsumi, she asked carefully, "Is something wrong Tatsumi?"

Wakaba really didn't want to hear the answer for she feared that it might be unpleasant and kill her Christmas cheer. She only wished it wasn't that white-coated psycho.

Pushing his glasses up to place, Tatsumi regarded her calmly and offered a warm smile, or as warm as Tatsumi was capable washing away the sternness from his voice. "Nothing to worry Wakaba-san, our colleagues simply need to warm up from the cold."

"Is that so," she brightened up immediately, "Well then, drink up." She encouraged and made a grab for Watari, engaging his arm and started pushing them toward the food and drinks table. She could see that Tsuzuki was the first to react to the warmth that ran down his stomach as the color to his face returned.

Smacking his lips, "Oh, what miracle of miracles Tsuzuki, you're looking better already." Watari quipped already sipping the last drop from his cup and giggling.

Tatsumi turned to eye his crazy co-worker while Tsuzuki blushed. Raising an eyebrow at the odd behavior from both grown men, Tatsumi eyed the cups on their hands warily.

"Ne, Wakaba?" finally Tsuzuki spoke, though to Wakaba's surprise, it sounded somewhat subdued and insecure. "Have you seen Hisoka-chan anywhere?"

Wakaba, in fact, hadn't, not since this morning what with the mistletoe madness. Feeling the sadness that was beginning to radiate from Tsuzuki at the lack of an answer, she suddenly felt the need to hug someone. She shook her ahead sadly and swapping arms from Watari to Tsuzuki she offered her brightest smile and patted his back as she came to a halt at the food table.

"Don't worry Tsuzuki. Believe it or not Hisoka-kun makes an effort to be with all of us and he really does like you as his partner, otherwise he wouldn't stay here with you and help you do your paperwork or let you get away with half the things you do. That is why we should understand that Hisoka-kun is doing the best he can and we shouldn't ask for anything more. But we should try to be with him when he's lonely because Tsuzuki, you know better than anyone Hisoka-kun doesn't know how to ask for company when he needs to be alone."

Tsuzuki looked at her with wide open eyes and finally a smile began to warm up the corners of his mouth.

Tatsumi understood well what Wakaba was trying to covey to Tsuzuki. He often felt the same way and found excuses to leave but remain in good company. Watari seemed to understand such moods, when Tatsumi showed up unexpectedly at the lab with a lame excuse. However, lately Watari had been able to detect him and rush into his office to pull him away with some hair-brained idea.

They would end up drinking tea outside or coffee at some shop sporting a silent conversation with Watari making the occasional note and Tatsumi catching some scribble, cringing at the thought of lab costs. Yet, enjoying his solitude…with someone…not alone.

"Thanks Wakaba-chan. Say is that pie!" Tsuzuki's eyes glittered. Wakaba stood a little ways from the hungry look and let the older man attack the aforementioned pie, 'apple'.

Wakaba grabbed a couple of cups from the table, poured a hot golden brown liquid and offered one to Tatsumi.

Eyeing it warily, his brow rose in question. After studying the warm golden brown liquid, Tatsumi forwent the nagging doubt at the back of his head that whispered 'beware of strange and unidentified substances that look innocent to the bare eye,' when he looked up only to become engrossed looking up to see Watari sip from his cup merrily…

Sensing an audience, Watari looked pass the sweet and warm cup between his hands and found blue eyes looking back with a somewhat lost but searching look in Tatsumi. So he smiled licking the corners of his lips and unconsciously began to fidget with a tread from the cuff of his coat sleeve.

Wakaba backed a bit out of the way with a guiding hand on Tsuzuki's elbow near sighing at the implications that look on both her beloved co-workers were sending to each other.

If only if…

Meanwhile Tatsumi could only think, _so close matching to the color of certain crazed scientist_. And with the drink on his hand, he loosely swooshed it comparing the waves to the flickers of color in Watari's eyes.

With Wakaba and still eating Tsuzuki leaving his path unobstructed, Tatsumi hardly noticed taking a couple of steps closer.

With pie gone Tsuzuki once again began to voice his woes of worry and concern for his missing partner. Shoulders sagging he walked off, Wakaba at his heels showering him with words of comfort, and passing bites of deliciously made food and drink.

Drink, drink, drink…while on the fringe crowed the Chief to a different tune very unlike himself. People were getting lively(er) and shadows spun around the room as Terazuma ducked between bodies and three giggling girls played peak-a-boo with him by teasing him mercilessly using his fear of the feminine magic touch they possessed.

Inadvertently the Hokkaido pair had captured a candid moment between Terazuma and a wondering hand that surprisingly did not invited Kuro to the ongoing roaring party. Though, the throngs of people made him bristle just brushing within an inch of a swinging skirt.

Somewhere along the way a daring hand pinched him…Same hand?

Yuma could bet money…and Saya dare her…only the pictures would tell…Lucky!

Terazuma was frightened…he was still him.

In the meantime, the Chief took a break to refill his glass…and his stomach.

Tsuzuki walked out with a thermos from Wakaba patting him on the back and a bento to tie him over and share with Hisoka…once he found him.

_Poor Tsuzuki_, she thought as she waved him off. Turning a completely 180° on her heels and the merciful look in her eyes changing completely to a wickedly conspirational smirk as she marched towards her new target(s).

Making his way out of the Diet Building, Tsuzuki realized he had looked everywhere and no Hisoka. He felt tired. Without Hisoka Christmas partying was lonely. It was making him feel depressed since he had wanted so badly to share Christmas with Hisoka.

Tsuzuki had to accept, however, Hisoka had a hard time in crowds and it wasn't his fault. And sometimes he forgot about Hisoka's empathy. He had inappropriate thoughts that in occasion he spoke aloud and Hisoka put up with much of what Tsuzuki did. Even go into crowded places against his better judgment to humor Tsuzuki or placate him.

Tsuzuki knew that Hisoka did not expect much of him. After all he was the laziest shinigami in the department and he was also the oldest, so he was dirt-set on his ways a little too much. It came with the age.

Walking home, he thought that he would stop by his place after all and pickup Hisoka's secret Christmas gift that he had planned to give the boy privately. He wanted to see Hisoka's reaction without his empathy affecting him or picking up others. He wanted the joy of a private showing of Hisoka's own set of emotions.

Tsuzuki giggled.

Hisoka could blush and he wanted to see just how far down he could milk it.

And as skittish as Hisoka could be, this was Christmas and he was allowed to be touchy-feely without a penalty, as long as the show of affections was limited to away from prying eyes and no leaving the floor to be swung around the room.

Tsuzuki smiled.

Hisoka was just so soft and cuddly, like a kitty. And hissed and scratched at your arms just like one too.

Hisoka always showed up when he was good and ready and not a minute too soon, or too late, unlike him. So, he would go back to Hisoka's apartment and wait until Hisoka felt safe enough to return on his own.

Although at the back of his mind there was still the nagging concern that he needed to assure himself Hisoka was perfectly fine. Tsuzuki couldn't help himself. It bothered him that Hisoka had pulled a Houdini that perfect and no witnesses. And Tsuzuki had always been able to eventually find his latest hiding-hole, but not today.

Tsuzuki frowned at his flitting last thought. It was a bad one. He shivered and refused to acknowledge it, though the possibility—no, not this time.

His shoulders dropped and shuffled around the contents on his arms to fish for his keys.

Refusing to invite bad omens, he hadn't tried to widen his search. It was freezing and heavily snowing on the real world. But perhaps…could Hisoka be hiding in some bookstore?

Swinging his door open, Tsuzuki checked his watch. If they were even open, a bookstore would have already closed sometime ago.

Jiggling his pants to check for his keys, he finally found them in his coat pocket.

_Click!_

* * *

TBC... part 18 next 

_A/N: I don't have a beta. A beta is welcome.  
__I cannot see the error of my ways for I have grown blind and I squint... and am hard of hearing (marely for enterntainment purposes only).  
Til next time... however long it takes._


	18. part 18

**Mistletoe Conspiracy Plot**

By Mikarin

continuation... from part 17

_A/N: This is only an update... I forgot I had gotten this far... But, Happy Valentine anyway. Seriously._

(Previously...)

Swinging his door open, Tsuzuki checked his watch. If they were even open, a bookstore would have already closed sometime ago.  
Jiggling his pants to check for his keys, he finally found them in his coat pocket.  
_Click!_

(Let's continue...)

* * *

Frozen with the keys on his hand just as he shut the door closed, Tsuzuki looked at his surroundings. There was something wrong. He had been so preoccupied and distracted that he failed to notice one important detail.

The apartment was dark and he couldn't sense any movement. It was quiet.

He paid close attention to the shadows in the room wary of any shifting motions that might escape his ears. Taking two steps away from the door, he cautiously stopped and waited for any surprises.

Two more steps—getting closer to the nearest table to drop his parcels and free his hands—keys still in hand Tsuzuki stood noiselessly in the middle of the room fully aware that he had opened his door without the use of his keys. Someone had either come to his home and could potentially still be here or he just forgot to lock it when he left that morning. It was a possibility.

As no surprises had yet to jump at him, he took a gamble and reached for the nearest lamp.

_Click!_

Everything looked exactly as it always did, standard mess, empty dish plate with harden frosting smears and fork and empty bottle of cheap sake on the floor conspicuously aside from prying green eyes.

But the air, it was perturbed, somehow.

Reaching into his inside pocket for a fuda he lit his inner force ready to reach into the depth of destruction if he had to and take with him the sleeping danger ahead.

The murmur of something lying low, nearly unperceptible, but he could feel it. Nearly stumbling over his own feel when he felt it for a second only, so recognizable but so somber and under his radar. He failed to match it to his spiking heart-rate, his gut-feeling telling him something.

And his legs forced him into action faster than he could think in a knee-jerk reaction that only happened when it involved—_Hisoka_.

_Gasp!_

The lit fuda crumpled into cinders on his hand as he halted at the entrance of his bedroom door. Only to gawk at the celestial body that starkly lay over his made bed. Lacking the rigidness that usually accompanied in his waken state, fully bare except for the disproportionate red bow wrapped tightly across bony hips hindering the sight that made said body a boy.

Hisoka lay on his bed. Soft breaths low and slow, unperturbed by his sudden presence breaching into the serene quiet, more palpable now that he found him deeply asleep.

But Hisoka was here unawares or he would never have been in this room and in this state of undress. Hisoka was prim about sleepwear.

Standing in the middle of his own bedroom, he could see the relaxed position by which Hisoka laid, as if he had been waiting for Tsuzuki to arrive.

Wisps of hair lightly curving around his brow and cheeks as if tossed purposely to enhance his sleeping features. Chin tilted against the large pillow from Tsuzuki's bed as if seeking its scent. Hands out of sight secretly hugging said pillow. And red ribbon, peaking from under the pillow case padding Hisoka's summer halo glowing under the winter moon's light washing over the bed and making the pearlescent skin glow and the little dusky peaks on his chest more perky, standing at attention like they were now.

Realizing where his thoughts were taking him, he took off his garbed coat and immediately leveled it over Hisoka's body. This brought a throaty rumble out of Hisoka.

Tsuzuki stepped out of the room to raise the thermostat and put away the food he brought. The thermos was still warm with Christmas cheer and found a couple of coffee cups just in case Hisoka awoke.

This gave him time to think, look around, pick-up a clue.

Someone had been very careful to trespass into his house. There were no clues. And after securing that his home locked, he returned to his bedroom with the warm thermos to aid Hisoka when he wakes.

Leaving the thermos by the side table he reached into his drawers for a pair of pjs. The pants were useless, but at least the shirt would suffice to cover his partner down to the knees. Carefully removing his coat and looking down at his little partner he notices the small tremor that went unchecked by Hisoka, whose facial expression remained soft and relaxed. The big red bow however did not and could not go unnoticed. It was just, so big.

The velvety texture of the fabric binding his skinny partner was perfectly starch to make the bow's ends puffy and hide the surprise. _And boy, was he surprised._

Tsuzuki wiped the silly bit of drool and wondered, who?

He could only imagine what would happen if Hisoka were to open his eyes now.

_Ouch! _

The pain this could only bring him, not once but many times over his head, and two black eyes, the silent treatment and the guilt. The guilt this will bring because of his unbidden imagination will unravel at the worse times causing further distress to his little kitten as he would fantasize about all that he could do with a sleeping Hisoka on his bed wrapped up like a present for him to open, _oh joy._

He brought a hand to his nose and wiped. _Oops._

Tsuzuki stepped out of the bathroom after cleaning the drip of blood that momentarily escaped him and checked on Hisoka. His hand over his cheek told him his body was getting cold and he would indeed have to pay for what he was about to do next.

Which was… to enjoy unwrapping his present!?

A flutter of eyelashes and a barely audible moan made Tsuzuki jump back. A glint of green and hair tossed to the other side of his face later, Tsuzuki was safe. Hisoka had not woken. But he noticed something that he wasn't sure, but…

He togged at the red ribbon sticking from under the pillow and with it brought a pale wrist bound by it and the other end of the ribbon disappearing somewhere. Tsuzuki togged the other end and found it unyielding; secure to the bed's side posts of the headboard, somewhere under the bed.

As was the other wrist once he lifted a corner of the pillow under Hisoka's head. The ribbon crossed under the pillow to bind the wrists and hinder Hisoka's movements. There would be a few inches gap between the two wrists so he couldn't free himself easily. Though knowing Hisoka, he would gnaw it off.

_Note._

There was a note. On Hisoka's pinky, a red tag hung by a thread.

'_For my beloved, Tsuzuki.' _The half-drawn face of the Count's mask and the distinctive fancy calligraphy gave away the culprit.

Hisoka-chan was going to be livid.

Ah, but at least he had proof that he was off the hook for kidnapping and embarrassing att—er, lack of attire. Maybe he could get away with minimal damage, say, just one black eye, for gawking.

He unfastened the thread to save the note for later on the side table.

The fingers twitch and Hisoka's eyebrows frown lightly with the intrusion.

"Wonder what they used to knock you out little one." Tsuzuki asked watching Hisoka's marred features return to calm and his eyelashes flutter like little butterflies resting over his eyes.

Tsuzuki leaned closer to the face and could smell something sweet, he leaned closer "—zu."

His eyes traveled from the lips that slightly parted exhaling a soft breath to the eyes, expecting to see them open only to be disappointed.

Even if he was going to get pummel, he wanted to see those beautiful eyes open. He expected then confused first, then irritated and finally angry.

Oh well, he was already doomed to become Soka-chan's punching bag, so closing up on the lips at his mercy, he pressed a peck and hoped for doom.

Masochistic tendencies aside, there wasn't much of a reaction. Soka-chan was mean.

"So-ka-chan!" He called playfully bracing with his arm on each side of the boy's head and tilted his face in front of his partner.

"Ne, if you don't show me some love I'll show you mine and heat up the chocolate sauce."

Nothing.

This was getting him no-where.

"How about another little kiss from Big Brother, ne?"(1) Tsuzuki pressed his lips and gently nipped at the soft ones hoping for a bite back. Hisoka should be able to feel him even under the congealment of sleep.

A twitch, "zu," lips parted and exhaled with a groan, the tip of a tongue slipped out to moisten his lips and retrieved once again to hide.

"Soka-chan."

Hope.

Brimming with happiness he reached for the bound wrists and began to free them.

_Poor Soka-chan_, he caressed the red bitten wrist, marked and swollen, getting the blood to circulate. He laid a kiss inside the wrist warmly, in the palm and the back of his hand. His fingertips were cold too; they deserved to be warmed-up.

Tsuzuki followed the same treatment to the other wrist and hand. Hisoka's breathing was still steady but deeper.

_And now for the good stuff, _"I'm already a dead man." And Tsuzuki ghost his fingertips over the pearlescent upper body, tempted, oh so tempted to bend his head and warm up the rest of all the cold skin on his little angel, but that would get him even more distracted. Those little pert nipples were doing a good job, _so cute._

The red velvet was a good choice, it warmed up with the skin and it was so big. He togged at the ends of the bow to loosen it up. Normally, if he received a gift as good as Hisoka made, he would not hesitate to pull at the ribbon and unwrap with glee his gift, fast and painless, so he could get to play or eat it faster, preferably both.

But Hisoka was a gift every day since he first arrived.

And he cherished Hisoka.

He grabbed that shirt he dug up earlier for Hisoka to sleep in and lifted Hisoka's body carefully and slipped the sleeves over arms and gently laid him down to close over and fasten the buttons. Pulling the material over the body the hem made it just under the kneecaps.

And now for the bow, he grasped the ends he had secured and pulled them down from under the makeshift gown. Hisoka's toes were slightly curled and they felt cold to the touch. Rubbing the soles of his feet getting some warmth back he left the bed and grabbed the first pair of socks he found.

Rearranging around, he lifted the body once again to pull the covers and sheets and managed to lay down his partner under the covers to warm up and rest. This may be the only rest he gets for a while. With his track record he will probably have trouble sleeping this deeply, worried about looking over his shoulder or under his bed for kidnappers or devoted zombies hiding in his closet.

Tsuzuki laid himself over the covers and he could feel the gentle breathing of his little Soka-chan. He wrapped the body close to him and smiled, very happy with himself.

Sure, he will die tomorrow, but this was his best Christmas yet. And despite the fact that the Count was a sex-crazed harasser, he had finally managed to find something to give him for Christmas that he would have no choice but to thank him for, probably in person.

Tsuzuki, whimpered and groaned, tightening his hold on the partner that will probably will not step to save him, this time.

* * *

TBC... part 19 next

Footnote 1 - First episode of the Anime, after Hisoka accidentally drinks Tsuzuki's wine and passed out. Tsuzuki tries to comfort his new partner in bed and uses a similar line.

_A/N: Maybe a White Day present?! -.o  
OK, so who knew I had no sense of time…But Valentine is around the corner, I think, and so is March, pretty sure._


End file.
